Giant Robot NEWS · Giant Robot store · giant robot time · gr time · GR2 · May 04, 2012

Giant Robot Time 5.4.12

EISHI TAKAOKA SOLO EXHIBITION

MAY 5 – MAY 30, 2012

RECEPTION: SATURDAY, MAY 5TH, 6:30-10PM

Eishi Takaoka’s work is coming back. Although the sculptures of Eishi Takaoka all portray the same serene expression, their outwardly calm façade belies a world of bottled-up emotions. With nowhere to go, these intense feelings manifest themselves in outlandish formations that sprout out of the top of each figure’s head. The uniquely sculpted heads of Takaoka are rooted in a personal fantasy world that is fueled by the emotional ups and downs of daily life in lower-middle class Japan. He instills his frustration with life in Kagoshima and feelings of isolation into each of the pieces, which are comprised of carved wood painted with raw mineral pigments placed atop empty glass medicine bottles.

Takaoka’s pieces have been seen in group shows in Tokyo and New York, one-person exhibitions at Giant Robot New York and GR2 in Los Angeles, and on the cover of novelist Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore.

For this exhibition, Takaoka will create 34 sculptures at Giant Robot 2 in Los Angeles. He is currently attending school in his hometown of Kagoshima, Japan and will not be in Los Angeles for the opening.


PRINCESS TINA DECORATIVE TOOTH T-SHIRT We’ve got some new Princess Tina merch in like these beautiful decorative tooth tees!		UPPER PLAYGROUND DAVID CHOE SKATEBOARD T-SHIRT A classic David Choe image of faces and limbs collided together to create this great design.


KOZYNDAN NAKANO PRINT A panoramic view outside the train station at Nakano in Tokyo through the eyes of Kozyndan.		STINCKERS STICKER SHEET JOVEN KEREKES The Irish based San Francisco native Joven Kerekes illustrates the most rocking geriatric characters you’ve ever seen. Ltd ed. Signed by the artist.


MEAT BUN DQ VALUE MEAL T-SHIRT This is the sweetest looking value menu I’ve ever seen. The cuteness is rotting my heart!		JIBIBUTS ARTIST COLLECTION FIGURE BLIND BOX These 100% Birch wood figures have been custom designed by 12 different artists including Andrea Kang, Anna Chambers, Bubi Au Yeung, Buff Monster, and more.


GAMA-GO QUIRKEYS KEY COVERS (OWLS) Very quirky key covers from Gama-Go! These cute owls will help you find the right key in the darkness of night!		HEISUKE KITAZAWA (PCP) COME RUN AWAY WITH US PRINT From artist Heisuke Kitazawa comes this printed poster!

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SURROGATE VALENTINE DOUBLE FEATURE

LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL:

SURROGATE VALENTINE

Saturday 5/12/2012 5:30 PM

SURROGATE VALENTINE 2: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

Saturday 5/12/2012 7:00 PM

MOTHERFUCKERLAND: INSTALLMENT 16

By ED LIN

nbsp; Read author Ed Lin’s new serial novel, Motherfuckerland. New installments will be released weekly. Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. His latest book, One Red Bastard, has been recently published by Minotaur in April 2012.

CHRIS CHU ON THE FATE OF THE MORNING BENDERS AND FUTURE OF POP ETC

By MARTIN WONG

In 2010, The Morning Benders were headlining a sold-out Troubadour with rows of fans camped out in front of the stage hoping to hear masterful and sometimes even orchestral indie rock such as “Excuses” from up close. Since then, Chu and his band has changed their name to POP ETC and the sound has undergone an overhaul, as well. In anticipation of the self-titled new album (which comes out on June 12) the band released a raw, self-directed video as well as a mixtape of bold, R&B-derived pop complete with Auto-Tuned vocals last week. The transformation seemed crazy until I realized that the band has never been afraid of production and that David Bowie followed up Diamond Dogs with Young Americans and Altered Images added as much polish between Pinky Blue and Bite. {…} I hit up Chris on the new songs and sounds. >>

AKO CASTUERA TALK VIDEO

By GIANT ROBOT NEWS

Sunday, Ako Castuera did an artist talk at GR2. We recorded it via Ustream.tv and embedded the video below. She brought works in progress paintings when are in the set below. Some of it looks complete! >>

ESCAPE FROM AGE OF MONSTERS VIDEO GAME SPOTLIGHT (FEATURING ASS-KICKING MUSIC BY THE BINGES!)

By MARTIN WONG

There are plenty of “endless running” games out there. And some of them are pretty fun. But how many have psychedelic monsters, clobbering-time gloves, perishing children, and a truly ripping soundtrack by one of the raddest bands ever? Escape from Age of Monsters has all that, not to mention inside jokes ranging from Fat Albert to Michael Jackson to Tiger Mom. I had to ask Mayuko Okai, my friend and guitarist for The Binges, and Michael Su, CEO and co-founder of Massive Joe Studios, how the new iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad game went from finger-tapping addictive to head-banging awesome. >>

MOTHERFUCKERLAND: INSTALLMENT 16

By ED LIN

Read author Ed Lin’s new serial novel, Motherfuckerland. New installments will be released weekly. Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. His latest book, One Red Bastard, has been recently published by Minotaur in April 2012. >>