JP MUNRO
Born 1975, Inglewood, California; lives in Los Angeles, California

JP Munro paints elaborate scenes of epic battles, opulent feasts, orgiastic celebrations, and pagan rituals. His distinct approach to genre painting borrows heavily from a vast array of historical sources, ranging from Greek mythology to Chinese antiquity, and of artistic styles from Eugène Delacroix to Salvador Dalí. Often frozen in a moment of high tension, Munro's scenarios take on a decidedly cinematic air, one that balances highbrow elegance and lowbrow kitsch. The combination of these multifarious elements results in psychologically fraught compositions that form a unique pastiche, distinctly contemporary in appearance and sentiment. Munro relishes the enigmatic and avoids clearly articulating or resolving any potential narrative, preferring to let viewers work through the mystery and uncertainty his paintings evoke.

JM

...read more about this artist in the Biennial Catalogue


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The Vision of St. Eustace, Master Hunter, 2005. Oil on linen, 60 x 48 in. (152 x 121.9 cm). Collection of Sadie Coles HQ, London