What do Godzilla, Batman, and Hermey the Misfit Elf have in common? In Eric Joyner\u2019s paintings, they exist alongside toy robots and doughnuts.<\/p>\n
Joyner builds entire worlds of contradiction. His style blends meticulous craftsmanship with imaginative narrative storytelling, bringing vintage robots and doughnuts to life in surreal, often humorous scenarios. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the past 20 years, Joyner has earned widespread recognition in the contemporary art world for his dream-like, yet extremely technical work. His paintings have been featured on the hit show \u201cThe Big Bang Theory\u201d and on the cover of Ben Folds Five\u2019s album \u201cThe Sound of the Life of the Mind\u201d and have attracted a global audience, including that of George Lucas.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking Sideways,\u201d Joyner\u2019s 12th solo show at the Corey Helford Gallery, is a vibrant fusion of nostalgia and surrealism. It will be on exhibit July 19 through Aug. 23, along with \u201cBad Company\u201d by Richard Ahnert; \u201cThe Dream of Y\u016bgen\u201d by Lo Chan Peng and Sun-Mi\/Pamplemouze\u2019s \u201cHouse Warming.\u201d<\/p>\n
The gallery is open to the public and free to attend Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.<\/p>\n
The Dawn of Art<\/strong><\/p>\n Before any robot meets its doughnut counterpart, Joyner exposes himself to a lot of things. He researches people, reviews history lessons, observes, lives life and revisits old toys, opening his mind to whatever curious thought drifts in. And it always starts with daydreaming. That\u2019s his first step: Get really bored and drift into a world where anything is possible. \u00a0<\/p>\n From there, ideas begin to percolate. Over the next month or two, Joyner lives in that headspace, researching subtopics that stick with him, letting inspiration emerge organically. And if there\u2019s something he can\u2019t stop thinking about, that\u2019s his cue to start.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll photograph toys from different angles, scan in sketches and begin assembling a digital composition in Photoshop. Once the layout feels right, he transfers the image to canvas or a wood panel. He paints primarily in oil, often mixing in alkyds (a fast-drying synthetic oil), which helps him to control the drying time of the paint as he builds up layers, working from background to foreground and dark to light.<\/p>\n Joyner\u2019s work isn\u2019t just playful; it\u2019s wildly conceptual. Even the title, \u201cLooking Sideways,\u201d was sparked by Brian Eno\u2019s song \u201cBlank Frank.\u201d Eno, electronic music pioneer and the mind behind the Windows 95 startup sound, wrote a song with lyrics about a character, saying \u201che is one who will look at you sideways.\u201d<\/p>\n That sideways glance mirrors the way Joyner approaches today\u2019s world. \u201cNow,\u201d Joyner says, \u201cwith AI and all the spam and criminals out there, you have to look at everything a little sideways. You know, have some skepticism.\u201d<\/p>\n The exhibition should encourage viewers to look at his art sideways, piece together details, ask more of his paintings. And if all else fails, try to notice which paintings feature robots who are literally looking sideways.<\/p>\n Joyner\u2019s Odyssey<\/strong><\/p>\n As Joyner stated in his press release, \u201cThe works ask philosophical questions with a light touch: What happens when artificial beings start dreaming? What does it mean to be conscious in a programmed world? Can absurdity be a kind of salvation? As we teeter on the edge of a murky future shaped by artificial intelligence, these paintings become reflections of our collective anxieties and quiet hopes.\u201d<\/p>\n Joyner\u2019s robots aren\u2019t cold or lifeless, they experience fear, shock, wonderment and joy. They\u2019re lost in thought, stuck in existential dilemmas, or caught in moments of quiet vulnerability that feel eerily human.<\/p>\n As described by Gallery Director and Curator Sherri Trahan, \u201cIf you look at something like \u201cThe Scrollers\u201d\u2026the expressions on the robots are so tangible \u2014 the wife looking over the husband\u2019s shoulder at what\u2019s on his screen. It\u2019s right there mapped out for you the way it would be if it were you and somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n These nuanced emotions bring a surprising easily digestible depth to Joyner\u2019s work, inviting viewers to see reflections of themselves in these mechanical figures.<\/p>\n Through other pieces like \u201cMutant Pursuit\u201d and \u201cBaker\u2019s Nightmare,\u201d we can recognize the humanity and emotionality of their situations in a familiar way, yet beneath that understanding lies a tension about machines and AI developing the same emotional awareness as humans, and the unpredictable implications of that evolution. It\u2019s a theme famously explored in the film \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey,\u201d which Joyner makes many nods to in his pieces.<\/p>\n His works for this show are riddled with cinematic Easter eggs, and uncovering each one feels like flipping through a seek-and-find book to decode a dream. From classic space stations and ships to sly theatre marquee titles, ever-so-familiar water towers and explicit painting names, Joyner laces his paintings with pop-culture references that reward those who look closely.<\/p>\n HAL Would Approve<\/strong><\/p>\n As an artist, Eric Joyner has spent years refining a style that is unmistakably his. From his early days in commercial art to his celebrated solo shows, he\u2019s followed an instinct that favors joy over convention.<\/p>\n \u201cHis talent is undeniable,\u201d noted Trahan, \u201cand yet he chooses to paint robots and doughnuts because those things make him happy.\u201d<\/p>\n That choice, it turns out, brings happiness to others, too. Visitors? \u201cThey\u2019re going to be overwhelmed with joy,\u201d Trahan said. \u201cI mean, his paintings stir up a sense of nostalgia because they feature toys that we might have grown up with. And at the same time, they’re in these scenarios, a lot of them referencing \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey.\u201d I mean, it\u2019s whimsical, and at the same time, it\u2019s deep.\u201d<\/p>\n And for Joyner, the takeaway is simple: \u201cI hope they\u2019re able to forget their troubles and just have a nice diversion,\u201d he said. \u201cBring a little happiness into their lives\u2026and hopefully it\u2019s a happiness that doesn\u2019t go away right away.\u201d<\/p>\n Amid the uncertainties of a digital age, Joyner\u2019s robots finding comfort in doughnuts offers a level of absurdity, yes \u2014 but it is also a warm reminder that it\u2019s the simplest pleasures that make us feel human.<\/p>\n Eric Joyner, \u201cLooking Sideways\u201d<\/p>\n