Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Inés Estrada is an artist from Mexico City. Her works display a strong array of color and at the same time possesses a gentleness. She has an indie spirit and with her boyfriend Roi, they are Cafe Con Leche. They make zines and keep their creative energies flowing. She’s part of Blithe Spirits exhibition at Giant Robot 2 along with Sean Chao (who’s words will make it here soon). We’re proud to publish a few words with her and hope you get to know her, a bit about Mexico City, and her works a little better. Hopefully one day soon, we’ll get to meet her. Cafe Con Leche and Inés Estrada. Preview Images from Blithe Spirits. GR: Not a lot of people in the US know about artists from Mexico, can you talk about your area and what your art community is like? IE: I live in Mexico City, which is the biggest city in the world. It is pretty crazy and there’s always something happening. Though there are people doing things here, it mostly seems like we’re all isolated. The art scene in Mexico is really spread out, so I have a couple of artist friends, but most of them live in other states. That’s what I would consider my art community… and all my friends from other countries. I think most of the popular Mexican artists in Mexico do graffiti or come from a street art background. That’s what’s really hip here right now, and there’s a bunch of people doing really great stuff in the medium. I’m more of an indoor, small notebook cartoonist kind of person, so I don’t interact with them as much as I’d like. GR: Is there an audience for comics and zines in Mexico? IE: Comics in Mexico are mostly seen as “garbage literature”, like something only kids or construction workers should read. So, that said, there isn’t a really big audience for alternative comics, and I think it’s mostly because people don’t know they even exist. Manga has become quite popular in the last decade, but there’s still a lot left for other kind of comics to be introduced. GR: Your work often has people in them, can you talk about what they are doing? IE: I think most of the people I draw are usually in a state of contemplation. I don’t usually know beforehand what do I want to paint or if I want to say something with it, so this reply is something I came up with right now. You could see them doing something different and it could be possible too. GR: It seems like there’s some fantasy, but can you explain a bit about the people who sit and often have things growing from them? IE: Most of the characters I draw, I picture them in my head as little gods. This little gods all exist by themselves in their own universe and at the same time are all related and live intertwined. The things growing could be sprouting...
Continue reading
[youtube]ejwKPyfm12Q[/youtube] Originally from Taipei but now based in Los Angeles, Jeni Yang is an illustrator who experiments with a wide variety of materials and mediums. The incorporation of woodwork in her whimsical and surreal paintings adds a handcrafted feel; the use of pastels and soft wood stains, nostalgia. She works out of a garage in deep Orange County, and spends 50/50 of her time working on the wood portions of her work and painting. In this Giant Robot Artist Friends film, Yang explains her process further and you’ll get to see her use a scroll saw. Take a look at Jeni Yang’s work as part of Synthesis (showing with Jesse Fillingham).
Continue reading
A welcome guest and crew. That’s Ryan McGinness on the right who’s still in LA as part of his month long “tour”. His stop at Giant Robot 2 is tomorrow Friday 7-10, you’re invited. He’s be delivering a lecture at around 8pm. It’ll be cozy. Come get a dog, a slider, and a soda! Here’s the event info.
Continue reading
Giant Robot is proud to host a BBQ, lecture and signing with Ryan McGinness in support of Sketchbook Selections: 2000-2011, his upcoming publication from Gingko Press. This special event will take place on May 27 from 7-10 p.m. There is no guest list or ticketing required, but signing will be limited to McGinness items purchased at GR2. Ryan McGinness Sketchbook Selections: 2000-2011 BBQ, lecture, and book signing Friday, May 27, 2011, 7-10 p.m. GR2 2062 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025 http://gr2.net/ (310) 445-9276 This special event will take place on May 27 from 7-10 p.m. There is no guest list or ticketing required, but signing will be limited to the new book and other McGinness items purchased at GR2. Ryan McGinness is an American artist known for his extensive vocabulary of graphic drawings that use the visual language of public signage, corporate logos and contemporary iconography. He uses this imagery to create paintings, sculptures and environments. He studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania as an Andrew Carnegie Scholar and interned at the Andy Warhol Museum. McGinness’ work can be found in permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Cincinnati Art Museum, MUSAC in Spain and the Misumi Collection in Japan. Giant Robot was born as a Los Angeles-based magazine about Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture in 1994, but has evolved into a full-service pop culture provider with shops and galleries, as well as an online equivalent. For a full schedule of McGinness’ LA projects: http://www.ryanmcginness.com/losangeles.pdf For more information about the event, GR2, or Giant Robot magazine, please contact: Eric Nakamura Giant Robot Owner/Publisher eric@giantrobot.com (310) 479-7311
Continue reading
[youtube]HX74R4Cqiz0[/youtube] Here’s a short film about Ako Castuera. It’s part of a new video series I intend to pursue called, the Artist Friends Series. I shot, recorded, and edited this film, and got a great music contribution from Goh Nakamura and Tim Bulkley. I’ve known Ako for many years, and actually met her at her Art’s Crab Shack days in Oakland, CA in the mid-later 90s while she was enrolled at CCAC. She’s married to artist, Rob Sato and pursues work that involves nature, humans, and dinosaurs. Often using watercolors, she’s also a knitter and makes beautiful tapestry pieces, and that hat that’s resting on the back of the chair. She’s 1/3 of the Realms exhibition taking place this saturday at Giant Robot 2 in LA along with Elsa Mora and Yellena James. Some preview images are at gr2.net
Continue reading