John Isiah Walton

"Algorithm" -- Painting on Canvas by John Isiah Walton

2024

“John Isiah Walton is an emerging artist with a strong conceptual streak who often bespeaks a stinging social commentary. His use of wit and irony addressing the constructs of race and class is irreverent and sensitive. Walton’s scheme is to connect a politically correct discourse (Hank Willis Thomas) with politically incorrect humor (Richard Prince). Male artists who exploit sophomoric humor often mask the fact that they have difficulty in satirizing human dilemmas with depth. Walton is not of that school.” -Diego Cortez 2015, Ny Art Beat. Walton was born in 1985 in New Orleans, where he currently resides. He attended St. Augustine H.S. (1999-2002) and graduated from Sarah T. Reed H.S. (2003). Walton received an AA degree in 2012 from Delgado College, New Orleans. He has had solo exhibitions at Identity Books, Graham, NC (2014), Gallery P339 (2015 & 2016), Brooklyn, NY and Ohr O’Keefe Museum, Biloxi ,MS (2019), Level Artist Collective, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, LA (2019) & Southeastern University, Hammond, LA. Selected group shows include The Front, LA (2014); New Orleans Museum of Art, LA (2014), Art Lab Akiba, Ginza, Tokyo (2014), Untitled Art Projects, LA (2013), and Atlanta Biennial, GA (2019). Walton is a founding member of the Second Story Gallery (2012-13), Level Artist Collective (2014-present) & the first African American member of The Front, New Orleans (2014-2017). He has lectured about his work to the graduate program at UNC, Chapel Hill (2014), and Southeastern Louisiana University undergraduate program (2021).