Artist Eric Joyner will present his 12th solo exhibition, “Looking Sideways,” at the Corey Helford Gallery. The show will feature a new series of oil paintings centered on his signature subjects: tin robots and donuts.
Joyner’s work places these elements in surreal landscapes, from prehistoric settings to urban environments. The artist, who has licensed art to companies such as Disney and Warner Brothers, uses the combination of vintage toys and pastries to explore themes of modern existence.
In a statement about the new works, Joyner described his paintings as “dreamscapes where robots and donuts coexist in strange harmony—symbols of indulgence, routine, and the absurdity of modern life.” He positions the robots as characters that reflect human behavior, stating they “fumble toward something human, seeking comfort, connection, and distraction.”
The paintings in “Looking Sideways” continue to examine what Joyner calls the line between melancholy and humor. Through his pop surrealism style, he poses questions about consciousness in a programmed world and the role of absurdity. “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,” Joyner explained.
Originally from San Mateo, Joyner attended the Academy of Art and the University of San Francisco before establishing a career as a commercial illustrator for clients including Microsoft and Mattel Toys. His work has been featured in galleries and museums, on album covers for musicians like Ben Folds Five, and in television programs, including HBO’s Silicon Valley and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He has also released two art books, Robots and Donuts (2008) and Robotic Existentialism (2018).
The exhibition will be held in the Main Gallery of the Corey Helford Gallery in downtown Los Angeles. It will run concurrently with solo shows by artists Richard Ahnert, Lo Chan Peng, and Sun-Mi (aka Pamplemouze) in the gallery’s other spaces.
The opening reception for “Looking Sideways” is scheduled for Saturday, July 19th, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The exhibition will be on view through August 23rd.
