ROBOTS, DONUTS & MORE WITH ERIC JOYNER INTERVIEW BY KRYSTI JOMÉI PORTRAIT OF A ROBOT San Francisco local Eric Joyner is a lifelong master artist known for his fantastical dreamscapes where wires meet wonders. His journey from drawing in kindergarten to working in commercial design post art school propelled him to the independent artist that he is today. And most importantly, his signature subject — robots and donuts. Though he paints what entertains him, part of his mission is to spread joy to others and provide an oasis with his works through a lens of comedy, fantasy and absurdity, which people of all walks crave, even J.J. Abrams and George Lucas who are fans and collectors. But at the core of these whimsical robots, sweet baked goods, iconic monsters and nostalgic characters is the essence of what it means to be human — our search for belonging, for being understood, our inherent desire to find meaning in life as we know it. And Eric reminds us that perhaps the answers are closer than we think. Perhaps they can be found in the absurd relationship of a robot and a donut. Absurdity is a fundamental aspect in your art. Why is it so significant to your life and work? I guess because I am the product of a highly dysfunctional family. As I grew up with a lot of fear and disgust, not getting much instruction, counsel or guidance. My absurd attitude towards life was thus born. Take us back to the Vincent Van Gogh exhibition in San Francisco that deeply No. 139 inspired and transformed you as a child and set you on your artistic path. Yes, that show really opened my little brain. I was struck by the colors and brushstrokes, of course. Like so many other writers and artists, it was inspiring. In 1999, you lost the fear of your art looking stupid and that’s when your work leveled up and took off. What sparked this realization? This realization was sparked by researching what was out there in the art world. I read a lot of art magazines and gallery websites, read biographies by Brian Eno and Andy Warhol as well a good amount of Charles Bukowski. Robots and donuts was born out of an epiphany you had in the early 2000s after experiencing artistic boredom burnout. How do you keep your inspirational fire stoked over two decades later and prevent disenchantment with your subject matter? I make sure there’s a small amount of something different, in terms of subject matter or the influence of a movie genre. Also certain machines, settings or desserts. How do you start your day to get into the zone of making art? I first exercise and deal with correspondence and administration. Then set to creating. The hardest part is getting started but it gets
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