Johnny DeFeo

Biography
Johnny DeFeo (b. 1985) is a painter who works both in the studio and en plein air with a primary focus on the natural world and the creatures who inhabit it. Inspired by landscapes of the West, his paintings convey a profound reverence for nature, evoking themes of legend and mysticism. Animals are often depicted in DeFeo’s work, as he aims to center a non human vantage point.

Johnny DeFeo co-founded Adventure Painting, a traveling artist residency with Aaron Zulpo. In 2021, DeFeo was selected with the Adventure Painting residency as an Armory off-site project and was featured in the New York Times. He has shown at numerous galleries including Cris Worley Fine Art, Dallas, TX; Meyer Riegger Galerie, Berlin; 1969 Gallery, New York, NY; The Valley, Taos, NM, and museums, University of Denver Museum of Art, The Claremont Art Museum, and the AR Mitchell Museum of Western Art. His work is included in many permanent collections including the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. DeFeo currently lives and works in Taos, NM

I make artwork that illustrates that our relationship to the land is not a simplistic tale of good vs. evil or man vs. nature, but a complex and layered one. These works ask the viewer to listen to the call of the wild, and look for balance in the way they consume, interact, and participate in the dually robust and fragile ecosystems of America. My rainbow paintings are part of a larger body of work about animal legends, illustrating moments of grandeur and drama in a land long before or long after humans have come and gone. They are half hope and half dream. Rainbows will outlive us all.

—Johnny DeFeo

Education
2007
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO

2017
Masters of Fine Art in Painting and Drawing, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Solo Exhibitions
2023
Standing Still in Fleeting Light, Cris Worley Fine Art, Dallas, TX
TBD, Visions West Contemporary, Bozeman, MT

2022
From the Windows to the Walls, KDR305, Miami, FL

2021
Soft Eye, Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO

2020
Johnny DeFeo – New Works, 1969 Gallery (online exhibition), New York, NY

2019
Even when you’re not sure, something out there knows right where you are, Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO

Group Exhibitions
2024
Trees, Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

2023
Soulscapes, Meyer Riegger Galerie, Berlin, Germany

2022
Wet Hot, The Office/KDR305, Miami, FL
To Die For, Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH
A Light That Swims Like Minnows, Curated by Aaron Michael Skolnik, Kinderhook, NY

2021
The Guild of Adventure Painters, The Armory Show Off-Site Exhibition, New York, NY
The Scenic Route, 1969 Gallery, New York, NY
Winter in the Valley, The Valley, Taos, NM

2020
INTERIORS: Hello from the living room, 1969 Gallery, New York, NY
Universe of the Horse, Visions West Contemporary, Bozeman, MT
Adventure Painting, 1969 Gallery, New York, NY

2019
Poems For Our Country, Union Hall, Denver, CO

Collections
Aetna Insurance Company, Hartford, CT
Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, West Palm Beach, FL
Prudential Investments, Longmont, CO
University of Colorado Art Collection, Boulder, CO

Awards
2023
Airbnb OMG! Fund, Grant Recipient, Taos, NM

2021
Adventure Painting, selected Armory Show off-site project, New York, NY

2018
Co-founded Adventure Painting Residence program, various locations, USA

Press
2022
Abbey, Susannah, Adventure Painters of the Southwest, Hyperallergic, November 10

2021
Small, Zachary, New York Art Fairs Are Returning, Eyes Open and Fingers Crossed, New York Times, August 27
Rizzo, Angie, Flights of Fancy: Johnny DeFeo, Southwest Contemporary, Winter/Spring

2020
Phillips, Jayne Anne, A Search, Oxford American, Summer/Fall

2018
Allen, Tyler, Department of the Interior with Johnny DeFeo, Strung Magazine, December

Press Release
2024 Trees at Richard Levy Gallery