Effervescent Rock n’ Roll: Le Tigre by Jordy Kerwick
Written by Nínive Vargas de la Peña for Sotheby’s NY Contemporary Curated. March 2022.
Fascinated with the ideation of monstrous creatures since an early age, Jordy Kerwick creations feature menacing beasts that have been enhanced through a fearsome imagination. Delving into the art world through music, this self-taught Australian artist overflows his compositions with an unapologetic punk aesthetic. In a technique characterized by a heavy application of paint, his expressive solid brushstrokes flatten the perception of space to create energetic and vibrant works.
Featuring recurrent iconographic elements reminiscent of Australian aboriginal culture, mythological tales and grunge aesthetics, the artist deconstructs their qualities and rearranges them with great diversity across his body of work. Through shocking fantastic scenes filled with rebellious energy, Kerwick’s recent introduction to the art world possesses the vibrant vigor of a rock star.
I think my work is very autobiographical and is a strong reflection of what I’m feeling, what’s happening around me and how I’d like to see the future panning out.
JORDY KERWICK
In a scene informed by cubism and the aesthetics of graffiti, Kerwick presents to us the pelt of his instantly recognizable tigers, decimated and affixed into the wall, yet somehow, no less intimidating. Half graffiti-sketch, half a construction of heavy brushstrokes with two pink roaring heads affixed into the body, the double headed tiger possesses the increasing vibrancy of an entity gradually arising into existence. Its roaring stance is replicated by the hissing of Kerwick’s signature double-headed snake, granting the scene with an almost sonorous quality. Recreating the illusion of rusted metal, the background serves as a solid point from where these cut-out figures appear to have gathered. Trading movement for resonance, Kerwick’s compositions exploit the advancements in art provided by Matisse for the creation of a vibrant composition that speaks with the sonar effervescence of counterculture.
Part of a new generation of creators who exploit the potential of connectivity to share and promote their works online, Jordy Kerwick has found immediate success upon entering the art world. Recent collaborations with artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, have catapulted the artist into a universe of an ever-growing celebrity fanbase. Meanwhile, his solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Paris, London, New York, among many other cities, have proved the success of his unrepentant visual fabrications. You can find him in his website, Instagram and represented by Vigo Gallery.