Elementary School Is Hell (Izod, Not Le Tigre)

This August, Munky King will host "Memories Are Made Of This" a group art show curated by friend of the gallery, Super Cooper Berella. The theme of the show is 'childhood memories', and after giving it some thought, I decided to create a piece inspired by my elementary school class photo. In essence, it's a self portrait of me from 1983-85.

The painting features a bear with a classic bowl haircut, standing in front of a classic sky blue background. But the thing that takes me back is the gold and red Izod polo shirt he's wearing. 

Back in the 80's class distinction could be determined by the logo you wore on your shirt (and from what I can tell, things haven't changed after all this time). At the top food chain was Le Tigre (which featured a leaping tiger as a logo) next was Izod (now known as Lacoste, featured the crocodile), and if I recall, the bottom of the barrel was Britannia (whom used the bottom half of a Union Jack as a logo).

Considering the cruelty of children, I caught hell from the Le Tigre kids, and this is why I made sure to include the Izod logo in the painting.

Tragically, this will also be Munky King's last art show at their Melrose location.

Ugly Ugly Doll

 When I was invited to contribute a design to Giant Robot's Ugly Doll Remix Project, I simply couldn't say no. Ugly Doll has grown to icon level status, and the shear simplicity of the design makes it one of the few non-platform toys I consider worth customizing.
When it was time to get to work, I deduced that the one thing the Ugly Doll actually isn't, is "ugly". So, I decided to make mine live up to its name.
I started by stripping it of its playful colors and giving it a beige and pink "flesh tones".  I then painted all its horns and bumps to resemble zits and sores. I finished it off by adding some of my own hair to the tips of its "ears". I call the creation the "Ugly Ugly Doll".

SDCC 2012 Signing Schedule

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL 2012 SIGNING SCHEDULE

I've got signings scheduled throughout SDCC (except for on the preview and on Sunday.
Munky King (Booth 4939) will be debuting and releasing "Target", out third major release (Limited to 250). Squid Kids Ink (Booth 5137) will be releasing a limited edition hand customized version of my "Emo Bear Murderworld" 10-doh (Limited to 100), and Hi Fructose (Booth 5137) will be releasing a silkscreen print on wood of my painting "Root Down" (Limited to 50).
I'll also be doing a "Bearing The Unbearable" book signing event on the first day at Giant Robot (Booth 1729). This booth also features "The Ugly Doll Remix Project", a show I co-curated with Giant Robot.

Thursday, July 12:

Giant Robot "Bearing The Unbearable" (Booth 1729)
12:00 - 2:00pm
Hi Fructose "Root Down Print" (Booth 4939)
3:00 - 4:00pm

Friday, July 13:

Munky King "Target" (Booth 4539)
12:00 - 1:30pm
Squid Kids Ink "Emo Bear Murder World" (Booth 5137)
3:00-4:00pm

Saturday, July 14:
Munky King "Target" (Booth 4539)
12:00 - 1:30pm



Almost all of these items should be available throughout the week. Please stop by the booths to check on availability.

www.giantrobot.com
www.munkyking.com
www.squidkidsink.com
www.hifructose.com

Bearing The Unbearable

In June 2012, Gallery 1988 and Titan Books released my first book "The Art of Luke Chueh - Bearing the Unbearable". The 198 page book documents the first seven years of my career (2003 - 2009).

The book also features exclusive interviews with L Crowsky (Cannibal Flower), Jensen Karp & Katie Cromwell (Gallery 1988), Gary Pressmen (Copro Gallery), Patrick Lam (Munky King), Joel & Josh Madden (Good Charolette), Petr Wentz (Fall Out Boy), and Jan Corey & Bruce Helford (Corey Helford Gallery). I choose these people to contribute because they had some of the biggest and most direct influences on my career.

A limited edition version of the book was also released. Limited to 500 copies this version comes in an anonymous cardboard box (which I've been customizing on the spot), an exclusive print of my first version of "Cut & Stitch" (the very last painting I created in 2009), and a unique signing sheet has been glued into the beginning of the book. 

Finally, I have plans of releasing an artist direct version of the limited with exclusive customized box, and other exclusive materials. For more information on this, please join my mailing list for information as it comes. You can find a form for my mailing list on my website.

For May, 2012, Giant Robot hosted "Game Over" a video game themed group art show. As of late, I've been using the group shows to create images that didn't feature any of my main characters. So for the "Game Over" I chose to illustrate the "Piranha Plant" or "Pakkun Plant" from the game Super Mario Bros. 

Pakkun

9" x 12"

Acrylic + Ink

2012

The thing that I find amusing about this painting is this 'chicken or the egg' type scenario I've created. What's exactly going on? Did Mario need to use the restroom and thus fall prey to a trap set by the Pakkun Plant? Or is the Pakkun Plan using the restroom cause he recently ate Mario? I'm inclined to say the latter since Mario's hat can be seen resting on the floor along with the metal buttons from his overalls. Thus suggesting that Mario came to the restroom to do his business when he was attacked and over taken by the plant.

Hungry (Munnyworld Kracka)

In May, 2012, I was invited to contribute a Munnyworld custom to "They Came From The Streets II" a show hosted by Urban Vinyl Daily. Since I had been working on a Kracka during my spare time, I thought this would be a great opportunity to showcase the finished piece.

When I started, the shape reminded me of a hippopotamus, which  then reminded me of the game "Hungry Hungry Hippos". This logic inspired me to paint it hippo grey. Then with a show name like "They Came From The Streets" coupled with my fondness for calligraphy, it only made sense that I would paint the words "Hungry" ye-olde-english style on the back… gangster style.

I finished it off with the classic hippo companion: a hippo bird. This was the first time I actually sculpted a character myself, and it was only when I was done did I realize it looked like an Angry Bird. Regardless, I think simple bird design suites the munnyworld shape nicely.

Wild At Heart

From May 26th through June 9th, 2012, I was invited by Thinkspace Gallery to contribute a piece to their "Wild At Heart" exhibition. A benefit show for Born Free USA.

From The Press Release: Thinkspace is proud to present “Wild at Heart: Keep Wildlife in the Wild,” an exhibition to raise awareness about the precarious predicament of wild creatures around the world, and to benefit efforts to protect them in their natural habitat. Featuring a stellar cast of more than 100 artists from all corners of the art world, this exhibition brings together some of the most profound and innovative voices making art today. In recognition of the imperiled state of much of the world’s wildlife, each artist will apply their own unique perspective to our relationship with the fascinating creatures with whom we share our planet. 

As the natural world becomes increasingly impacted by shifting climate, human greed and diminishing resources, protecting those creatures that still roam free becomes ever more vital to the soul of humanity. For even if we could continue to exist without wildlife, the spirit-crushing sadness that our species would take upon itself would surely rob all joy from life. Those majestic, miraculous, elemental beings which we admire from afar are at the root of who we are as people — from the woodland protagonists of our childhood storybooks, to the metaphors we use to describe ourselves as adults, to the animal spirits that visit us in our dreams. As we take steps to protect them from those who would rob them of their freedom, we also improve our own species’ chances to persist far into the future, both by preserving the natural world we all share, and by cherishing the sacred genesis of our imagination and symbology. 

In appreciation of the magnificent creatures with whom we share the planet, Thinkspace will donate 20% of the sale price of each piece of art to Born Free USA and the Animal Protection Institute, which operate jointly as a non-profit organization that advocates worldwide for the ethical treatment and protection of wild animals, and also maintains a large sanctuary for rescued primates. To honor the animals closest to our hearts, the gallery will be accepting donations of old blankets to donate to area shelters so dogs don’t have to sleep on cold hard concrete, as well as other used and new pet supplies. The opening will feature the release of a gorgeous limited edition screenprinted poster especially created for the exhibition by the incomparable Aaron Horkey. We hope you will join us on May 26th to celebrate and defend the wild things that fill our lives with wonder and mystery.

 

Smokey(The Bear)

Acrylic and Ink on Paper

10" x 8"

2012

My contribution, "Smokey (The Bear)", attempts to address several of the issue behind the show. First the painting features a polar bear, a mammal whose territory has been severely affected by global warming. The bear is smoking a cigarette, which illustrates in its own twisted way animal endangerment, crossing a human lifestyle with an wild animal. Finally, the title "Smokey (The Bear)" is a reference to Smokey The Bear, the original mascot for the the United States Forest Service.