Jaybo 3

Jaybo Monk

Graffiti

August 11, 2014

French artist Jaybo Monk is known for creating work that perfectly blends figuration and abstraction. Featuring fractured human forms, the artist draws an emotional topography of his life, challenging the viewers to wake up to the image-saturated digital age we are immersed in. Jaybo began his career on the streets of Paris, and today in his work, the influence of graffiti is clearly visible. He admires the masters, such as Salvador Dalí and Amedeo Modigliani, and enjoys combining elements from their work with street art. Monk has exhibited regularly worldwide since 2005, including solo shows in Melbourne, New York, Los Angeles, Perth, Paris, London, and Berlin.

Jaybo Monk - over the mountain's top, 2016
Jaybo Monk - over the mountain's top, 2016. Oil, spray paint, enamel; 60 x 50 x 4 cm.

Street Artist

Born Jeremy Baudouin in 1968 in Paris, Jaybo ran away from home at the age of 14 and lived on the streets for several years. He came in touch with the street art scene and started working various jobs, including graffiti artist, actor, and street musician in the hip hop group Reality Brothers. In 1986 after relocating to Berlin, he founded the magazine Style and the Family Tunes and a streetwear label Irie Daily in 1994.

In his works, such as Can I Escape Destiny (2010), Jaybo mixes different styles of composition, making it impossible to attribute one defining movement of the aesthetic genre. The artist is influenced by the works of Francis Bacon, which can be best seen in his Self Portrait (2009). Featuring distorted and fractured faces, the artist examines all the problems that we face in the age of mobile phones and selfies.

Jaybo Monk - Anaesthesy For Aesthete, 2013
Jaybo Monk - Anaesthesy For Aesthete, 2013. Aerosol and acrylic on canvas; 100 x 80 cm. Courtesy DAVID BLOCH GALLERY

Jaybo Monk's Style

From time to time, Jaybo compositions are affected by the rough texture of the applied primer. His paintings possess great psychological depths, which the artist accomplishes through chaotic and erratic fragments and various materials. The motifs vary, as one can clearly see the influence of Asia, mixed in with Bacon's figuration and Walt Disney characters. The incorporation of these stylistic quotes, which Jaybo calls "visual reflexes," specifically targets the viewers' high level of familiarity that drives them to create meaning behind the artwork. The finest example of this is his light projection on the Berlin Cathedral titled New Wave, which featured a tidal wave of Mickey Mouse's hands. For this reason, the artist is considered to be a vanguard of the Graffuturism movement.

Jaybo Monk - Dude, I Found Your Hat
Jaybo Monk - Dude, I Found Your Hat. Oil on canvas; 50 x 50 cm.

The Exhibitions

Even though Jaybo Monk's artworks have roots and are inspired by street art, today, they are considered part of fine art. The artist's latest group shows were Never Mind The Burnout (2022) at the Haus am Lützowplatz in Berlin, A Major Minority Group Show: Graffuterism 10 Year Anniversary at the Mirus Gallery, San Francisco, and L'avenir. Graffuturism Group Exhibition at the Mirus Gallery, Denver. The artist is a member of Agents of Change, an art collective based in London.

Jaybo Monk lives and works in Berlin.

Featured image: Photo of Jaybo Monk.

All images copyright of the artist


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