| John John Jesse | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 [1] New York, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Field | Painting |
| Training | self-taught |
| Movement | Pop Surreal, Cartoon-Tainted Abstract Surrealism |
John John Jesse is an illustrative painter from New York City's Lower East Side in the Juxtapoz gonzo-pop vein. He often shows with artists like Esao Andrews. Jesse has cited Gustav Klimpt, Carravagio, Béla Iványi-Grünwald, and Mark Ryden as influences[2]
He painted the girls he grew up with,[3] citing the punk lifestyle of girls and drugs. Most of the people featured in his work are friends of his. They are generally nude or partially disrobed, in situations that are both fantastical and gritty. Jesse has, to date, two self declared series of renderings. The first consisting of black & white drawings he calls the "Baby Demonica" series and the second, full color paintings he calls the "Demonica Erotica" series.[4]
Jesse also played bass in the New York Crust punk band Nausea[5] and designed posters and album art for bands like Agnostic Front.[6] He is a former guitar player for the band Morning Glory.[7]