On March 4th, Johnson Trading Gallery in NYC hosted a Bill Brady event – a pop up show by Tomoo Gokita. Coinciding with Armory Week, the show titled On Paper includes smaller works on paper by the renowned Japanese artist.
The 12 pieces in the show are all figurative black and white pieces based on vintage portrait images, similar to the ones he presented with the gallery in Miami last December (covered). Using exclusively monochrome colors, Gokita’s works have a strong vintage feel which is further emphasized by the traditional format. This conservative feel clashes with the surrealist, almost abstract elements he is known for. Playing with blurred faces, mutated body parts and gradients, his subjects are both funny and haunting at the same time. Keeping a sense of class through detailed depiction of jewelry and attire- a sort of a parody of this established form. With this body of work, Gokita showed that his distincive style works equally well on the smaller scale and warmed up the local crowd for his upcoming NYC solo show this fall.
