The show will contain a wide range of mediums and stylistic varieties from multiple genres such as fine art, photography, street art, sculpting, etc. The auction is a one night only charity event boasting more than 80 artists on February 18th, 2012 from 6-11 pm, and is open to the public with a $10 donation at the door. OAC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed to use art, music, and fashion to raise environmental awareness through creative outlets. DJ Mr. Numberonederful a.k.a. LC from Cannibal Flower & Thinkspace galleries of Los Angeles will be providing the show with music for the evening. Refreshments will also be available the night of the show.

For a full list of artists and more information about Art on the Move visit http://www.oacollabo.com/campaigns/art-on-the-move.

For more information about OAC and all future OAC campaigns visit www.oacollabo.com

Follow OAC on twitter @oacollabo

OCEANIC AWARENESS COLLABORATION PRESENTS:
ART ON THE MOVE 2012: A SILENT AUCTION GROUP SHOW

FEBRUARY 18, 2012 // 6:00PM – 11:00PM
$10 DONATION AT THE DOOR // LIVE MUSIC & DRINKS
WHITE WALLS GALLERY, 835 LARKIN STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109

Rankin says that LA has always been a place near and dear to his heart: “Like so many photographers and directors, it has a strong pull for me. It is the unquestionable and true home of the industry I work in. The light, space and dynamic landscapes in and around the city make it the best place in the world to shoot. I am excited to finally have a base here.”

The artist has selected a cozy Melrose gallery to be the epicenter of his sexy portrait collection. From the street, the two-roomed white walled, glass fronted gallery appears just like any other, but it’s what’s inside that will throw you. From naked celebs like Heidi Klum in a chocolate bath to rock stars in compromising positions, Rankin has something for everyone.

The gallery launched with Open Rankin, a retrospective look at Rankin’s last few decades working with fashion, portraiture, beauty, erotica, and fashion films. The exhibits continuously rotate and the current focus, the Hunger TV exhibition, includes exerts from Rankin’s recently launched bi-annual “glossy magazine of visual intrigue” titled The Hunger.

”The Hunger is an idea that was born from the realization that, more than two decades into my career as a photographer, I am still inspired by what I do every day. I named my first retrospective exhibition Visually Hungry – that’s how I felt. In a lot of ways, it is how I think I’ll feel until I die,” explains Rankin.

If you like your photography with a side of skin, consider Rankin Gallery up your alley.

Rankin Gallery
8760 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.rankinla.com
323-944-0026
Tues – Sat 11am – 6pm

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer)

Describe the overall Mother of London aesthetic.

I reckon Mother of London is pretty easy to spot- I don’t think I’ve ever designed a collection in my entire life that hasn’t incorporated gloves and a high collar, for instance – largely consisting of tailored and fully encasing garments, with a very deliberate nod to alternative culture. We’re primarily known for our leather work.

You’ll be releasing a number of t-shirts, which is a big step away from your usual intricate construction and stiff materials. Can you talk about that process?

I wanted to have a few basic pieces, like T-shirts and daywear, that would be a bit more attainable and practical than the usual Mother of London contraptions, but I didn’t want to just screen print a bunch of T-shirts, either. The garments are a custom cut of our own designs and the knit we’re working with is custom custom dyed. I had to spend some time learning knitwear basics and sourcing the right people and products to make this happen, and I’m most chuffed with the results.

This line is several years in the making – what’s was the final push that motivated you to take the final steps and make it a reality?

It was always the intention to make a ready-to-wear line, but a lot of resources go into making an entirely new line and the usual Mother of London tailoring and costuming side of the business has consumed most of those resources. This is where my former assistant, Jessica Darwin, stepped in and made it happen. I couldn’t have done this without her.

Does moving to and living in Los Angeles influence your work?

Although I don’t think it’s influenced me creatively, in terms of motivation and support it’s been fantastic. Los Angeles is a city full of people who get stuff done, and that spirit is totally lacking in London. So far, LA has been encouragingly enthusiastic about the London bleakness that is Mother of London, which was a nice surprise.

What do you anticipate for the near future of MoL?

It’s difficult to say, but I’m happy for things to continue going in the direction they are. 2011 was a fantastic year.

And finally – do you have a dream client, living or otherwise?

Janet Jackson!

Keep your eyes glued to the official Mother of London Facebook page over the next few weeks and follow @mildredvon on Twitter for the launch announcement.

Words and photos by Zoetica Ebb (@Zoetica)

As part of the ongoing celebration of the birth of the L.A. art scene, LAXART transformed The Standard’s parking garage into a dynamic performance art gallery. The project was a collaborative effort by Warren Neidich and Elena Bajo and included a group of locally recognized artists who came together to create this “choreography on wheels.” To the artists, the parking garage represented a site of unlimited temporal potential “where multiple times and spaces collide.”

After entering The Standard, we were escorted to the back of the hotel and sent down an industrial flight of stairs. We walked through the door and into the parking garage to find over 20 artists in action. Every parking space had it’s own artistic twist. Here were some of our favorites:

Coolidge Night One: We caught up with Gracie DeVito (daughter of Danny DeVito who was spotted checking out her performance) who collaborated with 3 of her CalArts friends – Tyler Matthew Ower, Clay Gibson, and Tom Curitore to convert an SUV into a 21st century music box in which they used to act out a variety of scripted performances. Gracie gave us a basic rundown of the project:

“This is a reiteration of a performance we did in Chinatown which was very improvised. Now we’re kind of taking the key moments – it ended up as this sort of birthday party theme and we have a score that we put together that is about 15 minutes long. We go thru different acts and play them out. There is a Western theme, a bar – It’s a very Hollywood kind of movie theme. There’s a make out scene. There’s a Donna Summers song/birthday cake epic moment and a finale.”

Before we moved onto our next exhibit, “The Coolidge,” as the foursome calls themselves, grabbed their fish tacos and gave us their best gangster pose in front of the car.

Japanese Gardening in a Parking Space: In honor of her grandfather, artist Sydney Cooper filled her parking space up with sand and performed a raking ceremony in which she created replicas of Japanese gardens.

Sydney told us that she used her parking space as a tribute to her family and their artistic heritage. “This is a site specific show about Los Angeles and when I think about Los Angeles, I think about my family. This is in honor of my grandfather and also my father who was a contemporary artist. He worked with a lot of resins and glass and reflective surfaces so in a way this piece is sort of an integration of acknowledging that – an ‘impermanent performance’ as he would call it.

Sydney joked that this was her first time doing this, in a parking lot nonetheless. “One of the things that I did first was I got on my hands and knees and cleaned this space to prepare it.”

The Sub Standard: Tova Carlin, Ania Diakoff, and Katerina Llanes collaborated together to create a faux real hotel room with re-enacted social relations. Inside several parking spaces, these artists set up a replica of a posh hotel suit – a bed sat in the corner with plush bathrobes placed on top. A couple interacted on a futon while people filtered in and out of the suite.

Packing a Parking Space: Johanna Reed and Marc Horowitz invited as many friends as they could to cram into their parking space. The duo hoped to beat the record for the most people occupying one parking space throughout history. We’ll have to check the Guinness World Records to see if they passed but definitely seemed to have a blast trying!

A Sacred Space: Mathilde Rosier and Mathilde Ter Heyne turned their parking space into a sanctuary where visitors were invited to kneel upon a cushion, open up a letter, and read a secret message. In addition to reading undisclosed text, people who stopped by the space were treated to an unidentified atmospheric fragrance. We caught a glimpse of a gentleman sniffing the air and commenting to his friends that the smell “was just glorious.”

Thanks to Art in The Parking Spaces, we will never look at a parking garage as anything but a blank canvas from this point on…

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Catie Laffoon (@CatieLaffoon)

Conjoined was developed by Zar, a special effects makeup veteran, stemming from the idea that tons of incredible art is being created by effects specialists behind the scenes in the film industry – art that deserves to be admired in the context of a gallery. Last year’s show was a big hit, but the Sequel managed to exceed all expectations, and Chet is thrilled:

“I am really blown away by the success of this year’s Conjoined II show. Last year was so big and amazing that I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to top it. But all the artists came through in a really big way and it made the show even better than last year. I am very grateful for everybody giving it their all.”

Just the day before, an unsettling sculpture featured in the show, Beavis and Butthead in Real Life, went viral online [it even made it to CNN] and was surrounded by curious onlookers at the gallery throughout the evening. Complete with braces, acne and beady eyes, the bobble-headed MTV teens were certainly an eerie sight to behold up-close. At least they’re not animatronic!

A number of moving sculptures are included in the show though: a glowing remote-controlled robo-chimp by Meats Meyers, “Cascade” – a shiny metal tentacle by Mark Setrakian and a robotic orchid by Brian Poor.

Bronze, steel, wood, epoxy, taxidermy [and even a tapestry by Tracey Roberts] graced the Santa Monica art space, its walls painted dark grey for the occasion, in a fascinating menagerie of assemblage, sculpture and kitchenware, if you consider Charles Crafft’s “Winehouse” teapot.

Some 2D pieces were on display, as well, including photography by Taslimur and paintings by Chet Zar, Brian Smith and yours truly.

Conjoined 2 runs through February 11th and is an absolute must-see. Be sure to check out the photo gallery below for a brief tour. As for the future, it looks like another hit is already in the works, according to Zar:

“I’ve already spoken to a few artists for next year and from what I hear people are planning to contribute, it’s going to be even bigger and better!”

Words and photos by Zoetica Ebb (@Zoetica)

Catering to everyone from hip hoppers to goth rockers, Mishka NYC collaborates with artists and brands to create unique tees, baseball hats, watches, jeans, leggings, etc. as well as other artistic endeavors, including videos, event production, making Cyrillic even more cool and a whole lot more. Bold, bloodshot eyeballs are among their most recognizable designs, alongside the brand’s iconic, angry, crowned bear logo.

If all that wasn’t enough, the Mishka “Bloglin” keeps you plugged into the latest releases from underground and established musical acts with reviews, as well as other cultural happenings. Indeed, in its near-decade of existence, Mishka has become nothing less than a lifestyle brand.

Whether you’re visiting a Mishka store in LA, New York or Tokyo, you can expect to see purple neon, octopus chandeliers, tons of rare toys from Rivera’s personal collection and cool art gracing the walls. In addition to all the sharp gear, of course. The shops’ design aesthetic is like the clothes themselves: bold and memorable.

Keep your ears [and giant eyeballs] peeled for news from Mishka NYC – this is shaping up to be a big year for these guys, according to co-founder Greg Rivera:

“In 2012 we are going to continue to bring people really solid collections, including our Spring 2012 collection, which I think is one of our strongest to date. We also have a lot of great collaborations coming out including music releases, [as well as] artist and brand collaborations. Check out the Bloglin for everything that’s going on!”

Mishka LA: 1547 Echo Park Ave Los Angeles, CA 213-536-4234
Mishka NYC: 350 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 718-388-1725
Mishka Tokyo: 3-28-5 Jingumae Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001 03-6447-2813

Words and photos by Zoetica Ebb (@Zoetica)

The Mint Museum will once again break new ground by bringing together three exhibitions comprising the largest and most significant examination of Surrealism and Surrealist-inspired art ever presented in the Southeast. Surrealism and Beyond opens to the public at Mint Museum Uptown on February 11 and runs through May 13.

Organized by The Mint Museum and overseen by Jonathan Stuhlman, the Mint’s curator of American art, the project consists of three fascinating shows examining the work of four artists: Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy; Seeing the World Within: Charles Seliger in the 1940s; and Gordon Onslow Ford: Voyager and Visionary.

“I am certain that the public will enjoy this rare opportunity to see more than 100 works of art by these four important painters. There is a remarkable synergy between these exhibitions, each of which reveals a different aspect of Surrealism and its impact on 20th century art,” said Stuhlman.

The project illustrates the Mint’s commitment to being a leader in scholarship and education on all forms of art and design. “Surrealism and Beyond is an undertaking many years in the making for the Mint and for its curator, Jonathan Stuhlman,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. “It is an exciting opportunity to introduce our audience to these important Surrealist artists and their works, some of which have never been exhibited before.”

Details on each exhibition:

Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy

Double Solitaire explores the exchange of ideas that informed the work of the important Surrealist artists Kay Sage (American, 1898-1963) and Yves Tanguy (French/American, 1900-1955) during their 15-year relationship. It is the first exhibition to examine Sage and Tanguy’s work from this perspective, the first significant exhibition of Tanguy’s art organized by an American museum since 1955, and the first major gathering of Sage’s paintings since 1977.

By intermingling Sage and Tanguy’s paintings, this exhibition of approximately 50 works of art tells the fascinating story of the couple’s complex personal and artistic relationship and, more importantly, elucidates the commonalities and ties between each artists’ work, which historically has been kept separate. Visitors will see firsthand the impact each artist had upon the other as they explored and developed their own unique visual languages. While many of the paintings in the exhibition are drawn from prominent public collections, a number of privately-held works will also be included—some of which have never before been exhibited, and some of which the artists dedicated to each other.

Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy is organized by The Mint Museum and Katonah Museum of Art, and has also been shown at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA (where it is running through January 22 before traveling to the Mint). It is made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation. It is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

Seeing the World Within: Charles Seliger in the 1940s

This captivating exhibition focuses on the remarkable paintings and drawings created by the American artist Charles Seliger during the first decade of his career. Born in 1926, Seliger quickly acquired a strong working knowledge of early 20th century modernism. But it was the fantastic imagery, inventive processes, and creative freedom of Surrealism that truly captured his attention and inspired him to develop his own mature aesthetic between 1942 and 1950. Although his work was rooted in the same basic principles and ideas as that of the Abstract Expressionists, many of whom he exhibited alongside in the 1940s, Seliger found a distinctly personal voice and artistic vocabulary. Because of this, he was given his first solo exhibition at Peggy Guggenheim’s “Art of this Century” gallery in 1945, when he was just 19. By the end of the decade, Seliger had narrowed his focus and further honed his style, resulting in an approach that defined his work until his death in 2009.

Seeing the World Within is the first exhibition to focus on the groundbreaking paintings Seliger created during the first decade of his career, and the first museum-organized exhibition of Seliger’s work in 30 years. It brings together approximately 35 of his best works from the 1940s, drawn from public and private collections as well as his estate.

Following its debut at the Mint, Seeing the World Within will travel to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy (June 9-September 16, 2012), and the Munson-Williams Proctor Art Institute, Utica, New York (October 20-January 20, 2013). (Please note that this part of Surrealism and Beyond closes at the Mint two weeks prior to the other exhibitions, on April 29, to facilitate its travel to Italy). This exhibition is made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary and awards from the Terra Foundation for American Art and The Dedalus Foundation, Inc., and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

Gordon Onslow Ford: Voyager and Visionary

This is the first retrospective of the British-American Surrealist painter’s work organized by an American museum in more than 30 years. Featuring approximately 30 paintings by the artist, it is drawn entirely from his family’s collection. Many of the objects in the exhibition were either created specifically for Onslow Ford’s sister, Elisabeth, or were given to her for such special occasions as her birthdays. Because of the closeness and longevity of their relationship, the exhibition will offer visitors a look at the full range of Onslow Ford’s career – from early, more traditional canvases from the 1920s and 1930s, to his first experiments with Surrealism in the late 1930s and 1940s, to his later work from the 1950s forward, which took a more cosmic, symbolic approach to abstraction.

It is a particularly apt companion for the Sage and Tanguy and Seliger exhibitions, as it reveals another dimension of Surrealism and its impact, and features an artist who knew and worked alongside Sage and Tanguy in the 1930s and 1940s and who wrote a book on Tanguy’s artistic process in 1980. Gordon Onslow Ford: Voyager and Visionary is accompanied by a selection of ephemera and works by family-member artists who were inspirational to Onslow Ford early in his career.

This exhibition is exclusive to The Mint Museum and is made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

ABOUT THE MINT MUSEUM

The Mint Museum is a non-profit, visual arts institution comprised of two dynamic facilities: the newly opened Mint Museum Uptown and the historic Mint Museum Randolph. As the oldest art museum in North Carolina, The Mint Museum offers its visitors a remarkable opportunity to experience art through two facilities that feature a global collection spanning over 4,500 years of human creativity.

Located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint, the Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 in Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood as the first art museum in North Carolina. Today, intimate galleries invite visitors to engage with the art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, historic costume and fashionable dress, European, African, and Asian art, among other collections. Resources include a reference library with over 15,000 volumes, a theater featuring lectures and performances, and a Museum Shop offering merchandise that complements both the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

The Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Mint Museum of Craft + Design, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston, the five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility combines inspiring architecture with groundbreaking exhibitions to provide visitors with unparalleled educational and cultural experiences. Located in the heart of Charlotte’s burgeoning center city, the Mint Museum Uptown is an integral part of the Levine Center for the Arts, a cultural campus that includes the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture, the Knight Theater, and the Duke Energy Center. The Mint Museum Uptown also features a range of visitor amenities, including the 240-seat James B. Duke Auditorium, the Lewis Family Gallery, art studios, a restaurant, and a museum shop. For more information, check out mintmuseum.org.

ChinaShop recently sat down with the artistic couple to discuss the challenge of combining their very different styles and plans for future art shows together.

What was the theme behind the show?

Renee: Broken dreams and fairy wings. The title was the perfect way to bring together the yin & yang of our styles. Jeff is very edgy, comic book world, tattoo line work perfectionist and loves letter forms and typography. Me, well I like all the opposites: wiggle lines, squishy fuzzy soft characters that pull you in and beg for you to feel like you were just hugged by a monster.

Jeff: For me it wasn’t a theme as a whole, more just a few ideas I really wanted to do. If I had to call out a theme, typography might be the closest.

Is this the first show you have collaborated on together?

Renee: Of this size, yes. We did a smaller plush show together a few years ago at the 1988 Gallery on Melrose for the Plustopia show. We contributed 3 pieces to that. Jeff would sketch out the characters on his schedule from work and bring them home then I’d build the characters in 3D plush. I loved working with him. He’s always so complimentary and genuinely taken back by what I can do. He’s probably my biggest fan… OK well my mom too.

Was your collaborative piece, “Broken,” fun to make? Do you do a lot of paintings together?

Renee: This is the first painting we did together and it was amazing to work with Jeff. He’s a real pro and just so so easy. We are thinking about doing another big show since we really liked how the “Broken” piece came out. It lit a spark in us to do more.

Jeff: Absolutely! I think we knew it was gonna be a bit of a challenge to marry our styles due to the fact that they were so different. I really liked the end result and I’m looking forward to the next ones.

What was your favorite piece that was displayed in the show?

Renee: “The Great Gumball Incident.” I don’t know why, I just really connect to the girl … it’s like she’s a caretaker. There might be a clear cut forest in the background but this little guy slipped on gumballs and his little horn fell off and she’s just band aiding him up… taking care of what she can.

Jeff: probably “Dreams” piece. My love for typography really knows no bounds. There’s just something about letterforms I love.

What is the process involved in making your work?

Renee: Ideas for me are drawn from storybooks my mom read me as a kid as well as moments in my life. I sketch and sketch and sketch until I get the feeling I like, using the pose and the face…It’s all really important to me. Thee second I feel connected to the sketch, I get into transferring to the larger sheet and water coloring.

Jeff: My concepts tend to revolve around tattoos, typography, Graffiti and old music poster art. I obsess over my line work, because this is the part I truly enjoy the most. The coloring is kind of a relaxing stage.

Did you both always want to be artists?

Renee: Yes! The only other thing I ever thought about was a chemist. I used to hide in my basement when I was a kid and just mix chemicals from around the house and from my chemistry set but I’d always do art on the side.

Jeff: There was part of me that always knew I would be an artist of some kind, but I of course chased the childhood dreams (skateboarding, musician) before I got here.

Tell us about the cuddly monster characters that appear in your artwork?

Renee: I just love making things that make me laugh, smile and literally that make me feel complete. I know how they sound, talk, walk, or move… what they do… I really need to find an animator.

Renee, do you always go after themes of conservation and preservation in your pieces?

Renee: Definitely the environment… Most of the time I stay pretty out of what’s going on in the news, a bit naive but I get pretty overwhelmed by what I see in the news or online. I’m pretty sensitive to things that are negative so when something picks at me, I like to feel like I can put a band aid on it by putting a piece of art out there to make people aware or just for a second think about things… create something new.

Why are these issues important to you?

Renee: Well it’s so simple to change and we don’t. The muscle to just buy a lot of packaging or a plastic water container is so easy. So many things have been short formed, even catching up with friends and being a decent person in society. I guess it’s important because I live here too, and I don’t want to live in my own shit to be blunt.

When you’re not making art – what are you doing?

Renee: I’m 1 of 3 partners at Eyerus, a visual communication studio in Los Angeles and I run the biz’ started it in 1999 with 2 of my best friends. I also snowboard plus I’m a foodie for sure.

Jeff: Being a bit of a foodie, listening to music, watching animation, videogames (I’m shamelessly addicted). I’m also a graphic designer at Eyerus as well full time.

Renee, you have a really diverse background- working for MATTEL, in the fashion industry…what has been your favorite sector?

Renee: My favorite sector is running my design shop, Eyerus…nothing harder and nothing more awarding. I love love love how my shop feels like a group of talented people who want to make a huge difference in design. Everyday we say to ourselves, “This is it. Let’s make some good shit” and I swear I have the best group of designers anywhere!

How does it feel to have your work sought after by people like Danny Elfman & Bobby Lee?

Renee: Crazy… Amazing… Flea from Chili peppers was interested in a big 12-foot whale I made for a show for his 4 year old but the gallery sort of didn’t know it was for sale.

What was the story with the band-aids that held up the info cards under your art? Do you guys always do that?

Renee: The band-aids were done for just this show. “Broken Dreams… “

What’s next on your art agenda?

Renee: Well we are both doing the OAC (Oceanic Awareness Collaboration) show in San Fran at White Walls Gallery. I do a lot of non-profit shows for the environment this is one of my favs. I’m also doing another show later this year on all my water creatures like my Trojan whale and sir jellies for the CAVE Gallery in Venice Beach. I also would like to find someone to bring my creatures to life. I want to do some animations about the environment from my perspective… make it fun and warm.

Jeff: Back to the drawing board of course. For me it was one of the first shows I’ve done in a very long time. I really wanted to see what pieces people responded to, if any. My work is so graphic in nature I always wonder if people are gonna enjoy it on a fine art level. More shows together would be nice.

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)

“Broken Dreams and Fairy Wings” will be on display at The Hive Gallery thru January 28th.

729 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
www.hivegallery.com

Upon deciding to transition from freelance illustrator to gallery artist, Joyner made a promise to himself that he’d only paint things that he liked. His fascination with robots paired with his extensive robot collection led him to begin implementing them into his painting world in 1999. Several years later, after watching a scene in Pleasantville where Jeff Daniels paints a still life of donuts, Joyner had a thought; he liked the fact that the combination of robots and donuts made no sense and was therefore inspired to throw the glazed pastries into his pieces.

It’s been 18 months since Joyner’s last solo show and fans have been patiently waiting. Corey Helford Gallery is pleased to announce that they will soon be displaying Joyner’s brand new collection, “It’s a Jungle Out There.” The show, which is said to push Joyner out of his artistic comfort zone, will run from January 21st through February 8th, with the official opening party taking place on the 21st from 7 to 10 p.m.

Inspired by a recent trip to Thailand, Joyner’s newest endeavor features his famed robots as they tango with wild animals in a variety of jungle-esque landscapes. “The northern jungles of Thailand were so inspiring that I wanted to create a show that reflects some of the things that I experienced there,” Joyner says. “There were beautiful trees, birds, mountains, elephants, tigers, butterflies, flowers and monkeys. Jungle paintings are easier said than done though—there are so many leaves, branches and foliage to paint. It really tested my patience.”

“It’s a Jungle Out There” will feature 18 imaginative paintings starring a series of robotic adventures such as fighting off snakes, fleeing from elephants, and coming face to face with mischievous monkeys. Joyner’s trademark donuts will make an appearance in the exhibit, as well as Ultraman, a character from a popular 1960’s Japanese television series.

“It’s a Jungle Out There”
18 Pop-surrealism works by Eric Joyner

January 21, 2012 – February 8, 2012

Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232
310.287.2340

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos courtesy of Eric Joyner

“We were looking for someone to do figure drawing over here. Something to bring in a lot of people who might want to see the studio, maybe looking to break into the business, or even show their portfolio while here,” tells Titmouse’s Ben Kalina. “The crew behind ‘Metalocalypse,’ ‘China,Illinois’ and ‘Black Dynamite’ have found some really talented artists at these events and we always look forward to the unique social gathering that Dr. Sketchy provides.

“We sadly now live in a world where we are mostly connected through electronic gadgets,” says Bob, the convivial toastmaster of Dr. Sketchy’s Los Angeles. “And I think that creates a need for people to get together in the flesh and experience the bohemian side of the art world.”

Bob’s job at this Dr Sketchy event, there are some 100 chapters now, is to award the artist who’s drawing the model chooses as best, a slick art book from his company, Baby Tattoo Books. Baby Tattoo Books have released books featuring artists like Ragnar, Justin Jorgensen, and Christy Kane.

It’s not too late to join in on 26 hours of non-stop artistic inspiration coming Saturday, January 21st at 8:00 PM and posing through Sunday, January 22nd at 10:00 PM. For real, there will be 26 hours of ‘round the clock male/female models to scribble in their extraordinary clubhouse at Studio Servitu in Downtown Los Angeles.

Artists will be given wristbands with in-and-out privileges to come and go smoke as they please. Reserve a spot now for $39 in advance or pay $45 at the door.

Words and Images by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)

http://www.drsketchy.com/branch/LosAngeles
http://www.titmouse.net/
http://www.babytattoo.com/