Joe Iurato: Trouble Maker

Taglialatella Galleries is excited to present Trouble Maker by Joe Iurato, a solo exhibition opening Thursday, September 18th at our flagship gallery location in New York City.

Trouble has always been at the center of Joe Iurato’s work, not as chaos for chaos’ sake, but as the spark that ignites imagination, resilience, and memory.

In honor of the exhibition, Iurato hand-painted a fifteen-foot mural onsite at Taglialatella Galleries NYC. Monumental in scale, the work anchors the show while echoing his public art roots—where large-scale storytelling transforms into a landmark of nostalgic expression.

Trouble Maker invites viewers to rediscover their own experiences of fear, fun, and resilience. By merging personal reflection with universal imagery, Iurato reminds us that art thrives where life’s complications unfold.

The works reflect both nostalgia and confrontation: childhood pranks that blur into moments of joy, or the lonely figure whose path reminds us of our own trials. The exhibition suggests that the idea of “trouble” is not something to escape but something to recognize as formative—an ever-present reminder of hope and possibility.

Filled with figures caught in moments of mischief or solitude—kids scribbling messages of joy on walls, drifters wandering down forgotten roads, musicians moving through quiet landscapes. Each scene is charged with the idea that trouble, however small or large, is inseparable from growth and discovery.

This philosophy is visible in every surface he paints. Known for his signature style of aerosol and stencil on layered wooden assemblage, Iurato’s practice is built on storytelling. Each cut of wood, spray of paint, or layered stencil carries narrative weight, revealing figures that live within a world both timeless and deeply personal. In this sense, Trouble Maker is not just a showcase of new works, but an invitation to participate in the artist’s lifelong dialogue between hardship and hope.

Iurato asks viewers to look inward, to recall those small acts of rebellion or moments of adversity that have shaped them. Whether playful or somber, these works hold a mirror to the experiences that leave an indelible mark.

The exhibition opened with a reception on Thursday, September 18th, from 6–8 PM, at 229 10th Avenue in New York. It will remain on view Monday through Saturday, from 10 AM–6 PM, until October 10th. For details, contact info@djtfa.com.