A new exhibition, The Art of Eric Joyner: “Robots and Donuts” opened yesterday (April 15, 200 at the Museum of Robots, on Kubrick. According to its mission statement, the Museum of Robots “is dedicated to the appreciation of robots. Its mission is to promote understanding of the place of robots in popular culture, art and science.” The museum has a permanent collection, of interest to both aficionados and those like me who are new to the subject, plus temporary galleries, which is where The Art of Eric Joyner: “Robots and Donuts” is being shown. Eric Joyner is an American artist based in San Francisco. He also collects robots, mid 20th century Japanese tin robots, and some American toys, such as Rock’Em Sock’Em robots, which some of us may remember from childhood (“Knock his block off!”). Earlier in his career Joyner worked in the commercial art field, in illustration and animation, but around 2000 decided to become a gallery artist and paint what he liked: robots. In addition, though, he added donuts into many of his works, because, he said, he wanted something to “not make sense and (to) create a new world”. This subject matter fits right in with the mission of the Museum of Robots, Joyner’s works combining as they do the influences of popular culture and art history. The works themselves are beautiful and richly painted, some with layers of thick and luscious paint, particularly appropriate to the gorgeous and gooey donuts, but also to the background landscapes and the shiny robots. Three of Joyner’s works are on view in an RL exhibition at the San Jose Museum of Art, Robots: Evolution of a Cultural Icon, April 12, 2008 to Oct.19, 2008, so catch that if you can, but make sure to come to The Art of Eric Joyner: “Robots and Donuts” in Second Life. The Museum of Robots is on Kubrick 98, 161, 27.
Posted by Hibiscus Hastings