If the name JonOne looks familiar, that’s because an exhibition of his works launched the 18Gallery in 2009. The artist was born John Perello and grew up in Harlem, New York. He has exhibited widely, moving from the walls of his home city where he was a member of the early street art movement to the galleries of the world. Back then, his street art made a deep impression thanks to his forthright use of color, unapologetic graffiti tags on canvas and clear influence from contemporary artists of previous generations. He is back this year with a fresh exhibition of work covering installation, paint on canvas and cut Perspex (Plexiglas).

JonOne’s use of graffiti tags in his work has been compared to Chinese characters, but this feels more like artistic diplomacy rather than genuine convergence. JonOne’s tags symbolize nothing but the artist himself, unambiguously, as would a logo. His manipulation of this tag across a series of 16 square pieces makes for an attractive collection on the back wall of the gallery. Each square consists of an abstract, patterned background overlaid with Perspex in a contrasting color, out of which JonOne’s tag is carved. Warhol-esque in its reach and layout, the work is pleasingly ordered despite the chaotic nature of orthographic graffiti.

Perspex is used again in the centerpiece of the exhibition: a collection of enormous, brightly colored and tightly gathered cut-outs suspended from the ceiling with transparent wire. Bold and simple, their shapes are repeated on the three giant white backlit screens to their right. Possibly the least inspiring pieces are a pair of monochrome squares. The left wall of the gallery is dominated by a long mural filled with jagged, tag-like patterns.

JonOne’s work in this exhibition has inklings of Dubuffet and Matisse, especially in the four glass-framed watercolors on the left side of the lobby. Pollock would be an obvious contender for comparison, and these works tend towards late Surrealist Picasso. Despite the variation in genre across the works, they are united by JonOne’s tag, which is pervasive and compelling as a leitmotif.

DETAILS

What: JonOne

Where:18Gallery

When: Now through August 25