Pho-dobo-rrito at GR2

Pho-dobo-rrito at GR2, January 20 – February 14, 2007
Reception: Saturday, January 20, 2007

Giant Robot is proud to present Pho-dobo-rrito at GR2, a group show that will include drawings, sketches, prints, and other work by Martin Cendreda, John Pham, and Albert Reyes at the GR2 gallery.

Since Martin Cendreda self-published the cute-yet-melancholy Dang! and Zurik Robot mini-comics, his work has evolved into longer forms of storytelling. He made the jump from stapled-and-folded pieces to the indie comics elite when Top Shelf published a collection of his strips in 2004. In addition to his solo work, Cendreda has contributed to indie-comics anthologies including Project: Superior, Hi-Horse Omnibus, and MOME, as well as magazines such as Dazed and Confused and Giant Robot.

John Pham entered the indie comics scene when he won a Xeric Foundation grant to publish the first issue of his well-designed, manga-influenced Epoxy comic magazine. After being forced by a Canadian design company to change the publication's name, Pham has produced mini-comics, zines, a sketchbook, and 1-Up magazine under the Substitute Life banner, as well as provided illustrations for CDs, posters, and magazines.

Albert Reyes is a Los Angeles-based San Francisco Art Institute graduate who has developed a style equally influenced by graffiti, comics, and fine art. Among other media, he draws and prints on the inside covers of old books and mixes traditional Mexican imagery, popular culture icons, and political suggestion. His work has been collected in a book, Don't Give Up, and his name can be seen on public walls as GIVE.

The opening reception for the artists will take place from 6:30-10:00 on Saturday, January 20.

The Divine Gas by Chiho Aoshima

My desire to visit Boston grows daily:
The Divine Gas, Aoshima's work for the ICA, depicts a giant girl lying in a lush landscape. The setting seems idyllic and serene-butterflies flutter, a deer nestles near her foot, a couple frolics hand-in-hand. Meanwhile, a billowing cloudscape, lorded over by a genie creature, emerges from her bottom. A few figures sit nestled in the clouds, while others tumble toward the ground. Like an updated version of Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1500), the mural is mysterious tale of good and evil. An elegant and energetic fusion of opposing forces—beauty and darkness, the natural and supernatural, humor and earnestness—The Divine Gas invites viewers into Aoshima's fantastical daydream.

Holiday Shows

Random updates of things goin' on:
GR2 is hosting UglyCon through January 2nd. Cinders Gallery, in Brooklyn, is showcasing "Dirty Hands", a group print show with pieces by Mark Todd, Esther Pearl Watson, Swoon, Saelee Oh, Souther Salazar, Caroline Hwang, Rachell Sumpter, and lots more. GRSF has "Printed Matter" up now, and I am so sad I am not in SF to go see it. Artists include; Alvin Buenaventura, Brendan Monroe, Bwana Spoons, Eric Nakamura, Evah Fan, Little Friends of Printmaking, PCP, Saejean Oh, Saelee Oh, and more.

(Blythe photo from Flickr: Splash & Sammy)

Bazaar Bizarre!

Don't mean to be M.I.A.- just swamped with work, the holi-daze, and this weekend's Bazaar Bizarre! Please stop by and say hello if you go- I will have special limited edition totes available!

Give Large

The Give Large art show opening is this Wednesday at Hollywood & Highland. It's for a great cause, and features artwork by - David Hinsey, Saiman Chow, HVW8, Kozyndan, Brandy Flower (Hit and Run), Sage Vaughn, Buff Monster, Jessica Miller, Text (Rory Wilson), Florencio Zavala, Abigail's Party, Kime Buzzelli, Imaginary Foundation, and other influential artists in the LA art scene.

'Hey There Lonely Girl'

Caroline Hwang and Suzannah Sinclair have a show opening this weekend at New Image Art Gallery in LA. Caroline's work is always gorgeous, I love her mix of fabric, embroidery, and painting. She did a line for RVCA last year, and I wear the skirt and sweater all the time. This show will definitely be worth checking out!

:( Chinatsu Ban :(

I haven't posted in a while, and this slighty due to the fact that I am heartbroken over not seeing the upcoming Chinatsu Ban show in Fort Worth, Texas. If anyone is going, or knows someone who is going, I must see photos! I tried and tried to make it work out, but it was just too pricey! Anyway... I hope it's a huge success, and I am sending my love to her elephants from LA.

'The Magic Bottle' by Camille Rose Garcia

I've been reading a lot about the painter Camille Rose Garcia lately. There is a great article in the current issue of Bust, and her toys are all over town! She also currently has a show at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in LA. Turns out, she has just completed a graphic novel, 'The Magic Bottle'. In 'The Magic Bottle', Lulu Blackenshoe lives in a gray world dominated by factories, landfills and giant corporations. Nature has all but disappeared in her world, but no one notices because of the antidepressants they’re on. Lulu (who never takes her medicine) feels an increasing sense of dread and despair, until her fate changes one cold day when she finds a magic bottle containing a map. Drawn by pirates long ago, this map shows the way to the lost world of the Peppermint Islands, sunk to the bottom of the sea 400 years ago in the great battle between the pirates and the capitalists. Suddenly, Lulu has the chance to save the last remaining wild animals on earth, but she’ll have to battle the Peppermint Man and the Great Trading Company in order to defeat the capitalist machine out to ruin the natural world.

Gumliens

I can't decipher very much about Gumliens, except for the fact that they are super cute!

Angry Woebots

I looooove pandas... even when they are mad pandas, like these Angry Woebots at Compound Gallery.

"The Pressure Point of Painting"

The master of cool, Takashi Murakami, has a solo show in Paris right now, "The Pressure Point of Painting" at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin. The show has a really interesting theme, as described on the KaiKai Kiki site: "Unique for the artist, this exhibition exclusively features his recent two-dimensional works. A new, visually bold series of paintings explore correlations, discovered by Murakami, between the points drawn on the human body during acupuncture treatment and the visual placement of colors and
composition of his paintings."

The Mushroom Girls Virus Book

'The Mushroom Girls Virus Book' by Deanne Y. Cheuk is a gorgeous feast for the eyes. (The book cover is all embroidered, too!) Here's a few pages for your daily eye candy.

Keren Richter

A few years back I discovered 'Blood is the New Black'; a super rad clothing line/ artist collective. It's headed up by Keren Richter, who has some pretty amazing work of her own.
I love the flow of her art- it always reminds me of roller skates, bruises, and spilled ice cream.

Jen Corace

Motel Gallery in Portland is currently hosting "Overwhelmed" featuring the art of Jen Corace. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the show, which is now online.


Motel Press Release:
Motel is pleased to host our second solo exhibition for Jen Corace. "Overwhelmed" continues Corace's iconic narrative style with nine new (larger) works on paper. Employing dense, detailed motifs surrounding a central subject, these works explore tensions of perceived versus actual danger. Each composition is invaded by archetypes of peril, such as snakes, tentacles, tsunami waves and jackalope, representing physical and psychological landscapes that the subjects must negotiate. Elaborating on her established visual vocabulary, this collection exemplifies Corace's seductive line work, compositional skill, and narrative finesse. Simultaneously bearing a sophisticated restraint and obsessive excess, these immediate works flirt with visual and thematic paradoxes.

Limited Prints @ Nucleus

I'm in awe over all the amazing prints (most for $50!!) available at Gallery Nucleus right now. Here are a few of my favorites. You can check out all of them here.

Better late than never: Aya Takano for Issey Miyake

It sucks when you find out about something totally-incredibly-amazing way too late. It's just how I felt this week when I discovered that LAST YEAR Issey Miyake hired Aya Takano to design a line of rain wear. Of course, it's the cutest clothing in the whole world. The boots are amazing... and how great does that runway model look? Completely decked out in head-to-toe Takano- the best way to travel in the rain!

'Bird Call' at Giant Robot this weekend!

BIRD CALL, a solo art show by Susie Ghahremani at GR2
November 11th - December 6th. Opening night is November 11th, 6:30-10pm

The GR press release:
Ghahremani is a RISD graduate who has contributed work to Nickelodeon, Chronicle Books, and The New York Times, and is featured in this year’s American Illustration publication. Illustrations by the San Diego artist have a patchwork appearance that is simple in design, complex in execution, and all-around pleasing to the eye. In addition to making two-dimensional art, she crafts tote bags, buttons, wallets, stationery, and other goodies.
For Bird Call, Ghahremani is creating an expanded collection of animals, invented creatures, patterns, and color studies. There will be about 150 gouache paintings on wood, board, and paper. Dimensions range from “mini” to “not so mini.”

Deth P Sun @ GRNY

Deth P. Sun has a show open now at GRNY. There are some photos of the show pieces on his FlickR, for those of us not in NY (namely, me). I own a piece he did a few years back, and it's one of my most favorite pieces of art. His website also has some great prints for sale super cheap.

Kelly Tunstall

Watch this gorgeous video directed by Kelly Tunstall.
Her paintings have always caught my eye. She has a show beginning this weekend at Compound Gallery in Portland.

'The Octonauts' by Meomi!

Meomi takes the cake in cute character design, and it turns out, now they have a book! I'm definitely adding 'The Octonauts' to my Santa list this year!
THE OCTONAUTS are a crew of adorable animals who roam the ocean in search of adventure and fun! From their undersea "Octopod" base, the eight talented critters (including a valiant polar bear, daredevil kitten, and big-hearted penguin) are always ready to embark on new exciting missions.
In their debut episode, the Octonauts encounter a lonely sea monster out looking for others of its kind. As the Octonauts help him search the four corners of the ocean, everyone learns the special value of friendship and individuality.