To close out the hugely successful group art show and 15 year celebration of Giant Robot magazine, JANM will be open for extended hours on Thursday, January 21 to host the Giant Robot Biennale. Curated by Giant Robot co-founder and co-editor Eric Nakamura, this expanded follow-up to the 2007 exhibition Giant Robot Biennale: 50 Issues will highlight artists associated with the magazine over the past 15 years.

Featured artists include David Choe, James Jean, Souther Salazar, Theo Ellsworth, kozyndan, Stella Lai, Jack Long, Albert Reyes, Rob Sato, Jeff Soto, Deth P. Sun, Le Merde, David Horvath, and Yukinori Dehara.

Admission will be free, and many of the participating artists and key members of the Giant Robot family will be in attendance as part of this special gathering. Expect refreshments, a musical guest, The Binges and DJ Puffs, and other surprises.

Japanese American National Museum
369 East First St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Closing Reception: Thursday, January 21, 5:00-9:00 p.m.

For fifteen years, from its humble beginnings as a hand-made zine to today’s authority on Asian pop culture, Giant Robot has sought out, supported, and disseminated the work of promising, difference making artists.  Last Saturday’s (10.24.09) opening of the Giant Robot Biennale 2 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo celebrated  the magazine’s longstanding love affair with new art. The exhibition features new work from  thirteen celebrated artists who rose to prominence with the magazine as well as a large group show of 50+ rising and established talents.

The opening drew a large crowd with queues forming at both the downstairs gallery for the group show and the upstairs gallery featuring the work of James Jean, David Choe (above), Jeff Soto, Souther Salazar, Jack Long and Stella Lai.   Both galleries are filled with inspiring pieces – it’s a cliche but there’s something here for even the most jaded art lover.

The lower gallery honors the diversity of the evolving art scene.  In addition to numerous paintings by a wide selection of artists, the group show highlights the art toy movement with a  sprawling and colorful display of hand-painted  Ledavhara figures named after their three prominent creators – David Horvath, Le Merde and Dehara.

The upper gallery offers a breathtaking look at many of today’s top talents in the new art movement that is often described with the blanket label of ‘pop surrealism’.  Among the work presented, the paintings of James Jean, Jeff Soto, and David Choe stand out as clear highlights.  While we’ve done our best to capture the work in a series of photographs, viewing the art  on your pc pales in comparison to the joy and sense of wonder that comes with experiencing it in person.

While  David Choe’s new futuristic femme fatale paintings are breathtaking, his installation of personal artifacts and art packing crates forming an urban art hideaway of sorts is a testament to his appeal – mixing eye catching and imagination provoking graffiti with a no apologies life ethos.

From actor George Takei’s ( Sulu on Star Trek)  glowing introduction of Giant Robot co-founder Eric Nakamura to a surprise musical performance by David Choe and James Jean, the opening of Giant Robot Biennale 2 proved to be a rousing and significant celebration of the publication’s first fifteen years. The milestone exhibition elevates the stature and awareness of this evolving art scene with the gold standard of an extended presence in a public museum.   Giant Robot Biennale 2 runs through January 24th, 2009. Not to be missed.

Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles California 90012
213.625.0414

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Giant Robot will celebrate 15 years of covering Asian Culture with Biennale 2 opening on October 24th, 2009 at the Japanese American National Museum. The impressive featured lineup includes David Choe, James Jean, Souther Salazar, Theo Ellsworth, kozyndan, Stella Lai, Jack Long, Albert Reyes, Jeff Soto, Deth P. Sun, Le Merde, David Horvath and Yukinori Dehara.  A second hall will feature work from 50 additional artists. If you have any interest in Pop Surrealist / New Contemporary art, this show is not to be missed.

By way of preview, check out the James Jean teaser video below created and posted by GR Co-Founder Eric Nakamura.  It shows glimpses of Jean’s new Chinnamasta piece which will be featured in the show as well as another painting which we presume will also be part of Giant Robot Biennale 2.

Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles California 90012
213.625.0414

More Images + Info »