The fourth annual exhibition enlists over one hundred artists to reinterpret their 1980’s videogame memories at the newly renovated World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Hollywood, California.
I AM 8-BIT, voted by LA Weekly as “Best Art Show,” returns for its fourth installment tomorrow. The annual group art exhibition will have its grand opening extravaganza on Thursday, August 14, 2008 at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Hollywood, California from 8 p.m. to Midnight. The show will run until September 7, 2008.
Launched in April 2005, I AM 8-BIT quickly became LA’s largest group art event, culling inspiration from the many characters and worlds of classic 80’s videogames. “Mario, Mega Man, Pac-Man, and Sonic are just as iconic as The Beatles to our generation,” says I AM 8-BIT founder and curator, Jon M. Gibson. “They are our childhood heroes, our babysitters, our most awesome fantasies - and it’s amazing to see how wildly and diversely artists choose to interpret them, because every experience is a personal one.”
Over one hundred artists are contributing to this year’s I AM 8-BIT, the show’s largest contingent yet, with a roster of established street and underground talent being added to the mix. “I was a fan of I AM 8-BIT because it was the one art show in LA that strived to incorporate a wide variety of artists, from pop painters to animators to graphic designers,” says curator Derek Puleston. “This year, we’ve tried hard to enlist new-to-the-scene artists. I AM 8-BIT has always been about breath and quality of work - not credentials - because ultimately, it’s about great visual storytelling, not fame.”
The fourth annual I AM 8-BIT will feature work from over 100 artists, including Joe Ledbetter, Scott C, Jim Mahfood, Ashley Wood, Amanda Visell, Jose Emroca Flores, Luke Chueh, Bigfoot, Yoskay Yamamoto, Kofie One, Angry Woebots, Gerald de Jesus, Tessar Lo, Gabe Swarr, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Carlos Ramos, Joe Vaux, Joe Shea, Benjamin Marra, Deseo, Mr. Jago, Jude Buffum, Michelle Valigura, Suckadelic, DGPH, Jim Stoten, Tanner Goldbeck, Scott Belcastro, Tony Mora, Nate Frizzell, Elizabeth Ito, ZOSO, The Chung, Ray Frenden, David Goldberg, and many others. The show will also feature epic installations from Jason Torchinsky, creator of 2007’s six-foot-tall, giant Atari 2600 controller, as well as Blik Surface Graphics, Eric Kurland, MyTarPit, Nerdcore, Palmetto, and others.
“After undergoing major renovations to the gallery, we’re extremely excited that such a large-scale show like I AM 8-BIT has chosen World of Wonder as its home this year,” says Randy Barbato, co-founder of WOW. “It’s bound to be our biggest, most extravagant art event to date!”
This year, I AM 8-BIT is made possible by generous, art-supporting sponsors: Capcom Entertainment, Foundation 9 Entertainment, Nerdcore, Colt 45, Skooby’s, 47 Communications, and Blik Surface Graphics.
i am 8-bit - Opening Night Extravaganza:
August 14, 2008
8 p.m. to Midnight
Performances by:
Computer Jay
DJ R-Rated
Location:
World of Wonder Storefront Gallery
6650 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA
Dates:
August 14 - September 7, 2008
About I AM 8-BIT
Founded in 2005 by Jon M. Gibson, I AM 8-BIT began as an annual group art exhibition, enlisting hundreds of artists to remix their 80’s videogame memories in paint, pencil, sculpture, and even plush. An anthology collecting pieces from the first year’s exhibition was released by Chronicle Books in 2006, with a sequel arriving in 2009. Since its inception, the brand’s imagery has extended into “limited edition” t-shirts, designer wall decals by Blik Surface Graphics, guitar straps by Couch, videogames, and “limited edition” vinyl toys. The name I AM 8-BIT, and its associated designs, have been licensed worldwide.
I AM 8-BIT quickly evolved into a full-service entertainment house, producing art events and exhibitions in conjunction with Walt Disney Consumer Products, New Line Home Entertainment, Capcom Entertainment, and the American Cinematheque.
I AM 8-BIT Productions, lead by producer Jon M. Gibson and director Gabe Swarr, also serves as a content creation company, focusing on the production of original shorts and series that compliment products and brands. The company provided numerous supplementary features for New Line’s The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, including an multi-award-winning short film entitled A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong, and recently wrapped production on a Radiohead video (”Bodysnatchers”) and a segment for Nickelodeon’s hit series, Yo Gabba Gabba!
About World of Wonder
World of Wonder (WOW) was founded when Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey met at NYU Film School in 1992. Since then the company has amassed a library of branded properties across all platforms, including such well known films as Party Monster: The Michael Alig Story, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, television shows Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, Million Dollar Listing, the upcoming Pamela Anderson observational documentary series, Pam: Girl on the Loose, entertainment blog The WOW Report, and Storefront Gallery group art shows Just Britney, Golden Gals Gone Wild, Warhol: Dead at 21 and Dial ‘M’ For Madonna.
The producers have never shied away from controversial themes and have worked with every major network, including HBO, BBC, Showtime, and Bravo. Their latest initiative is WOW TV, an internet venture which allows users to create and brand their own broadband networks. Their most popular online arena, The WOW Report, edited by legendary Details cofounder Stephen Saban, already boasts 500,000 unique visits per month.
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