Scion, in collaboration with underground clothing brand Sixpack France, presents the exhibition “It Was On Earth That I Knew Joy” at its 4,500 square foot Installation L.A. Gallery through mid-March. The group exhibition, curated by Sixpack France co-founder Lionel Vivier, explores the increasingly blurry boundaries between humans and the technology we create.
"It Was On Earth That I Knew Joy" features Sixpack France's first-ever short movie, directed by Jean-Baptiste de Laubier, in addition to 15 posters and 10 installations examining the theme of man versus machine. The art in the show is centered around the movie – participating creatives from the international modern and contemporary art scene were invited to design authentic interpretations from the film.
The featured artists are Akroe, Honet, Ill-Studio, PMKFA, Jonathan Zawada, Brigitte Sire, Neil Krug, Steven Harrington, Justin Krietemeyer, Daniel Sparkes, Cody Hudson, Russel Maurice, and Mark Owens.
JEAN-BAPTISTE DE LAUBIER is a French producer and filmmaker, alumni of La FEMIS, the most prestigious film school in France, who invented a new kind of rap with French hip hop phenomenon TTC. He’s currently writing his first feature film.
MARK OWENS is an American designer, writer, and filmmaker who works in Los Angeles. He earned an MFA in graphic design from Yale University and contributes regularly to the postpunk / Marxist design journal Dot Dot Dot and Tagbanger blog.
PMKFA was born in Sweden, has lived in Copenhagen and London and now resides in Tokyo. Perhaps best known for his graphic design for music and brands such as Nudie Jeans, WESC, Arkitip, Lo-Fi-Fnk and Kocky, PMKFA most recently became art-director of the Swedish furniture newcomer Vujj. He is also the co-founder/designer of the clothing label It's Our Thing.
CODY HUDSON AKA Struggle Inc is a Chicago-based artist whose aesthetic is part urban modernism, and part organic visual deconstruction. He has exhibited throughout the US, Europe and Japan and was commissioned by the City of Chicago Public Art Program to create a permanent installation at the Sox/35th CTA station as part of the Arts in Transit Program.
BRIGITTE SIRE is a Los Angeles based photographer. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, she now works for a variety of advertising and editorial clients including: Adidas, Arkitip, Dazed and Confused, Spin, Sixpack France, Wallpaper and W magazine.
STEVEN HARRINGTON’s art might be termed contextual objectivism. Some of his most recent projects include a four board series for Burton, contributions to the French clothing brand Sixpack, and a series of prints based on the idea of «community».
JUSTIN KRIETEMEYER co-owns and operates National Forest Design with Steven Harrington. His new works are an investigation and celebration of the common moments and experiences that happen beyond conscious thought and are meant to defy our concept of the conceived limits of perception, reality, space, and time.
JONATHAN ZAWADA is an Australian graphic designer who won an Australian Recording Industry Award for best album art in 2008 with The Presets, ‘Apocalypso’ artwork. Jonathan is also one third of TRU$T FUN! makers of the backstage fashion comic, Petit Mal! and their self-titled accessory range which is sold worldwide in stores such as Liberty of London and Colette in Paris.
AKROE a.k.a. Etienne Bardelli is a recognized player in the French graphic design scene, and a figure of the «post-graffiti» art scene. He has designed record sleeves and identities for majors companies and underground labels alike.
HONET joins gothic illustration, mostly inspired by his life in motion, together with the romantic exploration and recycling of abandoned, forgotten and hidden places. All around Europe, he meticulously chooses the spots where he will leave his creatures and his words.
NEIL KRUG is a photographer and filmmaker whose work often touches on a vintage, psychedelic feel and yet he manages to capture beauty simply. His body of work ranges from music promos for bands Ladytron, Sea Wolf, Boards of Canada, DRI, and White Flight, to photography and commercial work for collaborative project PULP ART BOOK with Joni Harbeck.
RUSSEL MAURICE became famous in the world of anonymous graffiti (Gasface) and later in the worlds of graphic design and textiles (Gasius). His work has been presented in different exhibitions such as the "New Technology Needed", or "La Maison Verte" at the Maharishi Churchill Gallery in London.
DANIEL SPARKES (Müdwig) has become distinctive within the subversive British art scene since early part of this century with his disturbing style of surreal situationism born of rare debauched determination. His work has been featured in books published by Thames and Hudson, Die Gestalten Verlag and magazines such as The Face, Juxtapoz and Dazed & Confused.
ILL-STUDIO is a French group of collaborators devoted to fine arts. Their goal is to bring ten individuals together, working in various artistic areas such as graphic design, photography, typography, illustration, video, motion design, etc. The ill-studio is Léonard Vernhet, Thomas Subreville, Nicolas Malinowsky, Thierry Audurand, Sébastien Michelini, Pierre Dixsaut, Harold Urcun, Artus de Lavilléon, David Luraschi and Fred Mortagne.
"It Was On Earth That I Knew Joy" runs until March 13, 2010 at Scion's Installation L.A. Gallery, 3521 Helms Ave., Culver City, Calif., 90232.
Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The Scion Installation Gallery hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and by appointment - 310.815.8840. For more information, visit www.scion.com/space.