“Grand. Vibrant. Aggressive. Powerful.” - Art Reveal Magazine

“I see a postmodern man shaking off his false identities and dancing naked in front of the primordial fire.” - Amber Christianson, Artist

"Bright, brash and bold" - Shana Nys Dambrot, LAWEEKLY   [more PRESS]

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About

Johnny Otto is a self-taught Contemporary Artist and Publisher/Found of Art Squat Magazine based in Los Angeles. He is the grandson of Czech and German immigrants. Often compared to Basquiat, Haring and Picasso, Otto’s work is actually influenced by a trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts, which he visited as a child and where he was exposed to their vast collection of African Art.

Otto's work spans more than 35 years and includes shows with David Hockney (Divine Design Fundraiser Auction), Compound Contemporary (Risk, WRDSMTH, Plastic Jesus, Shepard Fairey), Crystal Head Vodka Finalist at the Magic Castle, 01 Gallery, Headquarters, Jeff Hamilton's Street Art Fair, Radiant Space, Ministry Gallery, Art Squat, Project Angel Food Auction, Novian/Miller Space and others. He has been featured in numerous publications including Art Reveal Magazine, Paint the Streets Podcast, Artillery, LAWeekly, VoyageLA, and Left Bank Magazine.

Artists that Johnny Otto has shown alongside: OG Able, Adam Stone, Aloy, Amy Smith, Atlas, Axis, BG183, Billy Morrison, BIO, Bobby Doran, Mister Cartoon, CES, Carly Ealey, Charlie Paige, Chloe Trujillo, Corie Mattie, Curtis Nunez, Chris Konecki, Dr.Dax, Dave Shutter, Dave Tour, Defer, Estevan Oriol, Evel, Gary Young, Gabor, Gregory Siff, Heaven, Kick, Kwest, Lefty, Louie Perez, Nicer, Norton Wisdom, Peter Tunney, Prime, Relic, Risk, Sever, Sel Dog, Sonny Boy, Svetlana Talabolina, Tazroc, Taz, Toons One!, T ravis Walker, Tristan Eaton, Sharky, Shepard Fairey, Vision, Vyal, Wane Cod, Plastic Jesus, WRDSMTH, Mark Estes, Tommy Hollenstein, Kevin Nealon, Dave Navarro.



"An Artist needs to be a lion. Wild and free. When I paint, I don’t worry about what people might think of my work or how they might categorize it or try to compare it to other artists that have come before me. I just paint for the love of painting. Madly and unimpeded. I am not part of a 'movement' when I create. I am not a 'Neo-Expressionist.' I’m not one of the 'wild ones', or one of the 'New Fauves'. I am not Basquiat or Haring. They had their moments of inspiration and tergiversation. I have mine."

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Exhibitions



2023 8th ANNUAL NOCHE DE CALAVERA/Compound Contemporary with OG Able, Adam Stone, Aloy, Amy Smith, Atlas, Axis, BG183, Billy Morrison, BIO, Bobby Doran, Mister Cartoon, CES, Carly Ealey, Charlie Paige, Chloe Trujillo, Corie Mattie, Curtis Nunez, Chris Konecki, Dr.Dax, Dave Shutter, Dave Tour, Defer, Estevan Oriol, Evel, Gary Young, Gabor, Gregory Siff, Heaven, Johnny Otto, Kick, Kwest, Lefty, Louie Perez, Nicer, Norton Wisdom, Peter Tunney, Prime, Relic, Risk, Sever, Sel Dog, Sonny Boy, Svetlana Talabolina, Tazroc, Taz, Toons One!, Travis Walker, Tristan Eaton, Sharky, Shepard Fairey, Vision, Vyal, Wane Cod.

2023 ENDED SUMMER/Compound Contemporary Group Show with RISK, Plastic Jesus, WRDSMTH, Svetlana Talabolina, Mark Estes, Tommy Hollenstein, Billy Morrison, Kevin Nealon, Dave Navarro, Shepard Fairey - Los Angeles, CA

2023 PAINT THE STREETS PODCAST / Interviewed by Teachr and James Shen - Los Angeles, CA

2021 ART SQUAT MAGAZINE / Publisher & Editor-in-Chief - Los Angeles, CA

2018-2022 eBOOKS PUBLISHED Art of the Streets, Man or Monster, Art is Unnecessary

2020 PROJECT ANGEL FOOD AUCTION Fundraiser - Los Angeles, CA

2019 RADIANT SPACE GROUP SHOW It Was All A Dream with Sammy Baptista, Chad Muska, Oscar Meza, Thatcher, and Blikeme - Los Angeles, CA

2018 RADIANT SPACE SOLO SHOW Water & Spirit Fundraiser for Drop in the Bucket - Los Angeles, CA

2018 SPECIAL GUEST ON DEBORAH KOBYLT LIVE PODCAST Los Angeles, CA

2016-2020 MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS Art Reveal Magazine, LAWEEKLY, Left Bank Magazine, Artillery, Arts & Culture

2017 BURGERS & BUDZ Live Painting at JEFF HAMILTON'S TUDIO - Los Angeles, CA

2017 STREET ART FAIR/JEFF HAMILTON'S STUDIO GroupShow - 40 of the top Street Artists - Los Angeles, CA

2017-2022 #FINDART Hidden pieces throughout the Hollywood area - Los Angeles, CA

2014 THE ASHLEY PAIGE GALLERY Group Show - Los Angeles, CA

2009 MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE FEATURE New York, NY

2005 HEADQUARTERS SOLO SHOW SKETCHES AND PAINTINGS - Los Angeles, CA

1999 01 GALLERY GROUP AUCTION ABSTRACT AND FIGURATIVE PAINTINGS - Los Angeles, CA

1996 MINISTRY GALLERY SOLO SHOW ABSTRACT AND FIGURATIVE PAINTINGS - Los Angeles, CA

1994 ART IN THE ALLEY SOLO SHOW EXPERIMENTAL DRIVE-THRU ART EXHIBIT - Los Angeles, CA

1992-1994 ART SQUAT GROUP SHOW CONCEPTUAL PIECES - Los Angeles, CA

1993 ANGEL ART - PROJECT ANGEL FOOD AIDS fundraiser Auction at Pacific Design Center with David Hockney - Los Angeles, CA

1990-1991 NOVIAN-MILLER SPACE GROUP SHOW FEATURING 20 EMERGING ARTISTS - Los Angeles, CA

1989 RIVERFRONT GALLERY SOLO SHOW FIGURATIVE PAINTINGS AND SKETCHES - Ontario, Canada

1986 SUBWAY EXHIBITIONS GROUP SHOW - ABSTRACT PAINTINGS - Ontario, Canada



DOWNLOAD Johnny Otto's CV/BIO