Good Good Boy - Nervous Laughter

01.07.23 - 29.07.23
Solo Exhibition at
Kalashnikovv Gallery,
Johannesburg

Exhibition Statement

Good Good Boy’s work is multidisciplinary and inspired by the experience and reflection of ‘self’ amidst the swirling influences of the internet, pop culture, social media, socio-politics and intra and interpersonal relationships. Good Good Boy gives this a go through swathes of wild colour and self-deprecating humour - creating works that are playfully chaotic yet vulnerable, naive and sensitive.

Their work sits at the intersection of ‘self’, pop culture, and socio-politics in a way that doesn’t claim to be overtly political but rather through their own personal lens and experiences.

They are interested in using absurdity to explore themes that are sensitive to them, drawing a lot on nostalgia, especially adolescence when they were coming to terms with gender, sexuality, PTSD, and mental health - looking at the influence of pop culture and the media around them at the time and still today. Good Good Boy says, “I like to poke at gender norms and paint and reclaim things that aren’t expected of queer and femme artists - often using fast cars as a motif. A lot of the subject matter I paint is inspired by what was unattainable or ‘other worldly’ to me growing up - fussy dogs, fancy flowers, boutique ornaments, luxurious cars and high heels - even the medium of oil paint which I choose to create with today.”

As an artist, they like to challenge the exclusivity and elitism of traditional artmaking practices… choosing to smear thick, excessive layers of oil paint and scratching intimate, personal and sometimes crude markings into the canvas. These scratchings, similar to those etched into many public spaces, are like little love notes to themselves and the audience. They’re also painterly archeological diggings that archive and diarise the present..