Jon Langford in “Three Britischer Cowboys”
Yard Dog, through Nov. 28“He quit the band, went out on his own, got his own show, the rest is HISTORY.” This is the neat text scripted across the top of the painting Lofty Deeds on Charger by Chicago artist Jon Langford. In the background a snake says, “charmed I’m sure.” White text of “Danger” mixes with Indian arrows, hearts, musical notes, and stars over a turquoise background. The horse looks strong and happy. His wispy mane flies back energetically, his bridle is fancy with stars. The rider, wearing a fringed rodeo shirt and cutting a trim figure, says, “I quit” as his bandana flies out freely behind him. It refers to Western movies and a seemingly personal narrative of defiant independence. The weird part is that the head is a skull – a big smiley, toothy one. Langford, longtime member of the British band the Mekons, has also developed a great nostalgic painting style.
Using a schematically limited color palette does more than clarify the composition of a painting; it allows the artist to concentrate on message and effective communication. Instead of reinventing the rainbow with each piece, Langford works over his favorite imagery in romantic combinations. Cowboys, the Carter family, Sputnik, skeletons, birds, and horses all appear at home together. They relate because of Langford’s affection for them and his clean signature style. The paintings on wood are really mixed-media. They begin with a bottom coat of dark red that is covered in turquoise, then sanded and cut, then scratches and black lines are added. The black-and-white characters are well-drawn. The light patterns in the copper background relate oddly to the figures, adding meaning like cartoon captions. The distressed texture is a nice relief to the stiffening that often occurs when drawing from photos. This is a peppy body of work. Each painting topic is unique: pop but personalized, Western but Dia de los Muertos. Langford has a world of rock & roll experience behind him. He seems to use an honestly happy voice to capture his own version of American heroes in his work.
This article appears in November 12 • 2004.