Memories Are Made of This: A Word From the Curator, Super Cooper

Memories Are Made of This

The other excellent group art show opening in LA this Saturday, August 18th (see the first one here) is curated by my good friend and walking toy art encyclopedia, Super Cooper Berella. Memories Are Made of This is Cooper’s paean to childhood memories, a fitting theme as Cooper will be simultaneously celebrating his 13th birthday! The show takes place at Munky King on Melrose, and it will be the shop’s final exhibition before closing their retail doors to focus on production. But the emphasis here is festive, and there will be live music, live painting and CAKE POPS! The fun begins at 4PM, and a portion of all proceeds will benefit CHIME Preschool Inclusion Program and the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital 4W Supportive Care Committee.

I had a quick chat with Cooper to see if he’d divulge a few of his favorite pieces in the show. His response: “I think that every piece from the show is going to be mindblowing. I can’t wait to see them all.” But I persisted, and while I have no doubt Cooper could speak eloquently on the merits of ALL the pieces in Memories Are Made of This, here’s what he had time to tell me.

Tora Maru Tiger Baby by Yoskay Yamamoto
Tora Maru Tiger Baby by Yoskay Yamamoto

Cooper says: “I think it stands out because it looks like a regular childhood teddy bear, with a regular human face. It makes me kinda want to pet it.”

Shy by Yu Tihara
Shy by Yu Tihara

Cooper says: “The color is great. I also like the concept of a little kid being a little shy.”

Extreme Happiness of Childhood by Satoshi Yoshioka
Extreme Happiness of Childhood by Satoshi Yoshioka

Cooper says: “Oh my gosh. If you see the piece, you’re gonna trip out. The detail is just amazing.”

Our Memories by Nao and Shin Tanaka
Our Memories by Nao and Shin Tanaka

Cooper says: “I love things small and card-like. I also like colorful drawings.”

Cubeman by Lou Pimentel
Cubeman (oil painting) by Lou Pimentel

Cooper says: “I have to agree with you, Jeremy. This piece gets two thumbs up for being really realistic and detailed.”

9 Childhood Monkey Memories! by Jerome Lu
9 Childhood Monkey Memories! by Jerome Lu

Cooper says: “These are some of the cutest monkeys ever. Super Hero Monkeys I should say. The paint job was really good, too.”

King Bowser Koopa - King of the Koopas by ECOTYPER
King Bowser Koopa - King of the Koopas by ECOTYPER

Cooper says: “Kaijus are rad, especially the clear ones that show their insides. That is why I like this piece a lot.”

Zombie Unicorn by Shelby Barrett-Whitmore
Zombie Unicorn by Shelby Barrett-Whitmore

Cooper says: “I like this piece because Shelby transformed a Raffy toy into a wonderful character. I thought it was a very creative idea to put its ears in a different spot.”

Memories Are Made of This: CAKEPOPS!

Jeremy says: “YUM”. Above art left-to-right by Luke Chueh, Super Cooper and the logo for Munky King on delicious CAKE POP canvases by Betty Lou. Memories Are Made of This runs from August 18th through August 25, 2012. Go see art and re-experience your childhood! RSVP to the Facebook event.