The wildly imaginative and witty UK artist  Wilfrid Wood has done his part to lighten people’s spirits with two large sculptures in Melbourne and Sydney dedicated to victims of “summer madness”.  Apparently commissioned by Nestle’s Frosty Fruits, the two send-ups of summer sun rituals were designed by Wood and sculpted by Josh Young.  Yes, it’s a commercial tie-in, but Wilfrid Wood’s art on public display is a good thing in our book.

[Seen over at Hi-Fructose’s blog]

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Looks like GR2 is getting a lot of love from the blog today, but all deserving. Giant Robot has both a great last minute gift show up (see Post It) - and they just hosted art superstar David Choe for a signing of his newly released “Choegal” toy from Ningyoshi toys.

The wooden toy has hand painted parts (though not by Dave) and we were able to pick up ours along with a shiny autograph from Dave. It is really a great toy - and you should probably get online, or into GR2 to order one quick as it is limited to only 1000 pieces.

Fans were picking up Choe toys, GR posters and the new Giant Robot Magazine with Choe’s cover art, all in hopes of getting a sketch. The fan above (a DD contributor) actually brought a paint set. David was nice enough to paint a little something…

…David tells us he is off to China in a few weeks to begin shooting his new project. Have fun in Beijing…stay away from the street meat! Keep reading for our pics, or discuss David’s work here:

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Vinyl Collectible photographer Brian McCarty recently shot Yoskay’s “Koibito” prior to last weeks release party at Munky King. Thanks to our friends at HiFructose, Brian has a great interview talking about the shoot, cold water and shrinkage.

Check it out along with more pics and free downloadable wall papers at HiFructose.com.

Looks like David Choe is up to no good once again. Tomorrow he is releasing a new EIGHTEEN color screenprint with Burlesque Design. To top that off, Choe has drawn and painted on all 76 prints so each is completely unique. Check out the production video from Burlesque and their image gallery of the process:

If that is not enough David Choe for you, we have more. David will be signing his new “Choegal” toy at GR2 on Tuesday, December 23, from 6-8pm.

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We are getting ready for this weekends show, but Do not forget Thursday night’s release party for Yoskay Yamamoto’s Koibito vinyl at Munky King. Yoskay is also releasing a series of gocco prints and raffling off a painting. How lucky will you be?

If you want one, better lineup early…

Jeff Soto: Turning in Circles
December 2, 2008 - February 21, 2009
RECEPTIONS: Dec 13, 2008
Julia Morgan Society Reception 6 - 7pm
Public Reception 7 - 9pm

Nowadays, painting in southern California is all over the place, stylistically as well as geographically. But it has been adopted with particular verve by one still new, rapidly evolving genre. The manifold sources for this new genre, from graffiti to cartoons to psychedelia to car (and surf/skateboard) customizing and on and on, provide these self-styled, technically adept “lowbrow” or “newbrow” or “pop surrealist” painters with an immense variety of styles, subjects, attitudes, and rhetorics.

Riverside artist Jeff Soto has achieved an especially prominent place among the legions of “newbrow” painters. In his work of the past couple of years, Soto has reached a clarity of intent, as well as pitch of technique, that embodies a true vision – true, that is, to his grasp of reality, not just to the making of a richly faceted yet coherent image. Soto made his reputation on visually assured, pictorially ambitious paintings; now, he is challenging himself to produce visually challenging, even unstable imagery, imagery that reflects back at us something more than our need for entertaining stimulus.

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Detroit artist Glenn Barr is working on his first bronze sculpture, “Happiness”, based on his painting of the same name.  The piece is limited to 15 pieces and is being sculpted by Dave Grasso. The work-in-progress sculpt is already looking great and very true to the original art.  Happiness is an excellent choice to present as sculpture  given all the 3D elements present. We’re looking forward to seeing the final result.  [Source: Hi-Fructose] More Images + Info »