MS BLOG: Mike Shinoda: Glorious Excess (Dies)

Mike Shinoda: Glorious Excess (Dies)

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Opening Reception Saturday, August 29, 2009 from 8‑10pm
On View August 29 - October 14, 2009

Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA

Artist/Musician/Producer Mike Shinoda is pleased to announce his upcoming solo exhibition Glorious Excess (Dies) at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Following his highly-successful 2008 show, Glorious Excess (Born), Shinoda returns to the Museum to unveil his latest collection of paintings and digital works. Larger, broader, and more sensational than before, Glorious Excess (Dies) is the next chapter in his series exploring society’s obsession with celebrity culture, consumer addiction, and fascination with excess. Open to the public, the reception for Glorious Excess (Dies) will take place on Saturday, August 29 from 8 to 10pm with the artist in attendance, and the show will be on view until October 14, 2009.

Shinoda’s new works continue to evolve, blending his personal experiences in the spotlight with social commentary and fine art technique. Drawing from classical vanitas influences of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, Shinoda expands his signature visual vocabulary, juxtaposing symbols of death, money and sex against vibrant neo-pop imagery. The artist’s large-scale tableaus narrate the road to excess, culminating with a dramatic final destination into tabloid nirvana. In an age where superstardom dominates the media, Glorious Excess (Dies) immortalizes consumption, fame and wealth, challenging the viewer to question what is real.

“On one hand, this show is about obsession with celebrity culture, consumer addiction, and fascination with excess. On the other, this is about me growing up painting, and finally feeling like I’ve found a stylistic voice that expresses the ideas I want to get across in a gallery show,” says Shinoda.

A collectable, limited-edition book encompassing the Glorious Excess series will be launched on opening night, and accompanying the collection of 17 acrylic-on-canvas works will be a documentary short film on view during the course of the exhibition. Additionally, a book, new skateboard decks, and artist-series merchandise will be available for purchase at the Museum. All proceeds from the sale of artwork and merchandise will go toward the Michael K. Shinoda Endowed Scholarship at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

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About Mike Shinoda
Michael Kenji Shinoda is a Japanese American musician, record producer and artist from Agoura Hills, California. He is best known for his vocal and musical endeavors with two-time Grammy winning, multi-platinum rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda also oversees the packaging, print and online art for the band. He is also involved in other projects including Fort Minor, Music For Relief, and Projekt Revolution.

Shinoda was the youngest of his graduating class from Art Center College of Design in 1998, with a B.A. in Illustration. He has had a hand in most artistic facets of Linkin Park’s imagery, including album artwork, band merchandise, web design and on-stage production art. In his off time, he has worked with popular brands like DC Shoes and Kid Robot to design custom products for charity.

In 2004, Shinoda founded the Michael K. Shinoda Endowed Scholarship at the Art Center College of Design, a fund created to benefit promising illustration and graphic design students with financial need. The first recipient was granted a scholarship in 2006. Proceeds from his artwork and merchandise benefit this scholarship. Also in 2004, Shinoda broke through with his first show, Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. The show, entitled Diamonds, Spades, Hearts, and Clubs, featured collaborative artwork with Gary Baseman, graffiti artist SEEN, DALEK, Greg “Craola” Simkins, and Linkin Park’s Mr. Hahn. His first museum show Glorious Excess (Born) opened in 2008 at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, and in 2010, Shinoda will be curating a collaborative group show in New York City. Shinoda is also a featured member of The Seventh Letter’s Known Gallery. For more information about the artist, please visit mikeshinoda.com.

About the Japanese American National Museum
The Japanese American National Museum is dedicated to fostering greater understanding and appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and telling the stories of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Since its incorporation in 1985, the National Museum has grown into an internationally recognized institution, presenting award-winning exhibitions, groundbreaking traveling exhibits, educational public programs, innovative video documentaries and cutting-edge curriculum guides. The National Museum raised close to $60 million to renovate an historic building in 1992 and open a state-of-the-art Pavilion in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo Historic District in 1999. There are now members and donors representing all 50 states and 18 countries.

The Japanese American National Museum is located at 369 East First Street in the historic Little Tokyo district section of Los Angeles. For more information, call (213) 625-0414 or visit www.janm.org. National Museum hours are Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday 12 Noon to 8:00 p.m. Admission is $9.00 for adults, $6.00 for seniors; $5.00 for students and children; free for Museum members and children under age six. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Closed Mondays, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Final visitor admissions take place thirty minutes