Undercurrents: New Works by Martin Hsu and Lawrence Yang

October 15 – November 16, 2011
Opening reception Saturday October 15, 6:30-10pm

GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
gr2.net
(310) 445-9276

Currents are the source of life and death. What lies beneath the surface is unseen and often forgotten, but it’s also where much light and magic can be found. This series of paintings explores the color, vibrancy, and luminosity of the deep. Angelic creatures serve as messengers of life. They examine undiscovered feelings hidden away from the obvious by bringing light to the darkest places. There’s much beauty in the dark and life is brighter than we think.

Martin Hsu is an artist and designer based in San Francisco. He takes much inspiration from nature, animals, and Hayao Miyazaki. The series of paintings he created for Undercurrents is based on the concept of life arising from death. It’s also infused with his fascination for vibrant and fantastical creatures from the deep. At this moment, he’s still pinching himself for having the opportunity to show a body of personal works at Giant Robot. He hopes this is not a dream.”

Lawrence Yang wrestles with informational abstractions by day and paints by night. Influenced by graffiti art and traditional Chinese painting, he employs ink, marker, and watercolor, as the permanence of this media adds a sense of immediacy to his work. Lawrence’s paintings make use of color to communicate atmosphere and emotion, and they are concerned primarily with creating order out of chaos (and vice versa). Lawrence once ate an entire bag of Fun Size Three Musketeers™. He lives in San Francisco with his imaginary pets, Cholo and Binky.

For the Love of Tiger: Martin Hsu and Andrew Brandou @ Munky King

Given all the news around the famous golfer, I would say it's still an odd choice of title for this show regardless of the Chinese Astrology. Perhaps it's an intended pun? Who knows.

You are cordially invited to join us at "For the Love of Tiger" a two-person exhibition featuring LA based artists Martin Hsu and Andrew Brandou. For those of you not able to come, we're opening our cyber doors to the exhibition for a preview. Hope you can make it to the opening reception this Thursday, Feb 11th, 7-10pm to see the rest of the show and meet the artists.



FOR THE LOVE OF TIGER
This exquisite piece features Brandou's new abstract style using natural elements to form his ferocious tiger. "I started it (new technique) because I wanted to do something "pretty". I felt my work was not really reflecting how I felt at the time, which was in love. . . . and showing that when you find that kind of love, everything is beautiful." - Andrew Brandou

Hsu gracefully compliments Brandou's Tiger with illuminated flowers and vines, while incorporating the Chinese symbol for luck. Chinese mythology believes that tigers bring good fortune, and young children dress in tiger hats for protection against evil spirits in keeping with custom.



PROTECT, REVIVE
"This piece inverts the traditional relationship of children and tigers within Chinese folklore - rather than having the Tiger protecting the children, the Children (in Tiger suits) are caring for the Tiger represented in an abstract from as a tree in the forest."

-Jack from Vinyl Pulse



HAPPINESS EXPONENTIALLY
Hsu's piece beautifully renders the Chinese symbol for happiness in abstract form using children and tigers. Normally, the joining of happiness symbols is used in Chinese weddings to celebrate the union - double happiness.

"I wanted to show that Tigers bring kids infinite happiness and vice versa."
-Martin Hsu




I first met Martin at the Alternative Press Expo in SF last year. Super nice guy. Very chill. I mentioned that I liked his art and that it reminded me of the Chinese Folk art from Jinshan and Huxian. I then muttered something like "it's got that "Ni Hao Kailan" thing going on..." He immediately responded, "funny you should say that because I was a character designer on that show for a couple of years..." He then accused me of having kids cause nobody else around APE knows what Ni Hao Kailan is...lol. Anyways, proof of the encounter is here as the very gracious Martin offered to draw this sketch of Kailan which is the envy of all my daughter's classmates. Thanks Martin!