Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Boy with Red Mountain, 2012, 11" x 11.5", Acrylic on paper
I first stalked Miran Kim at Comic-Con way back in 1997 and justified it by writing an article about her in Giant Robot 8. It was awesome to have met Miran in that early stage of her career, when she was best known for painting doom-and-gloom covers of The X Files and The Crow. Among the topics we covered were being uprooted from Manhattan to the Kidnapping Capital of Asia (a.k.a. Seoul), working for The Man (a.k.a. Fox), and having fans that range from paranormal believers to death metallers. Too bad the pages of GR were still on newsprint in B&W because no one could paint bruises, stitches, or organs as well as Miran.
Somehow, I made the transition from Miran’s fan to friend and we’ve kept in touch. So I was stoked to find out she has a solo show of personal work that will open at Galerie Petits Papiers in Paris, France, on February 2. Her latest work is shockingly colorful yet as dark as ever, treating the human body as not only a bag of guts but a vessel for cosmic energy that takes form in the most surprising of colors. Here’s what Miran has to say.
Last night I went to the member’s preview of Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980) at the Chinese American Museum. The Pacific Standard Time-affiliated show’s topic is self-explanatory and very cool, showcasing styles from Googie to Modernist with some photography by Julius Shulman.
On January 14, Chris Burden’s Metropolis II will finally be unveiled at LACMA. The kinetic sculpture, which was slated to show in the fall, took a little longer to realize than expected. At this morning’s preview for members of the media, it was easy to see why. In the intricate piece, 1,100 Hot Wheels-like cars are led up magnetic conveyor belts and dropped onto tracks that weave through an idealized cityscape, crisscrossing with trains, trolleys, and other details.
On Saturday night, the HUF warehouse hosted a reception for the singly named Haroshi. But the Tokyo sculptor isn’t some poseur who simply paints on skateboards or appropriates the culture for street cred. His pieces (made out of used boards by DLX team riders in this particular case) actually capture and convey the energy and power of skating from a skater’s point of view. Probably the smoothness, too, although rent-a-cops were stationed to keep guests from fondling the art.
On Sunday night, I received an invitation to see the Rose Parade. From the front row. For free. As a parent of a three-year-old little girl and disciple of Huell Howser, how could I say no? So on Monday morning Wendy and I woke up at six, dragged Eloise out of bed, and drove as close to my friend Lawrence’s place as possible. We hiked over in time for some hot coffee and homemade scones before walking out to folding chairs on the divider of Sierra Madre.