ART TOY
ART TOY
These days the Art Toy phenomenon is experiencing an increasingly overwhelming popularity, brought to the forefront by Street, Pop and Urban culture. This is why we at Atypical want to talk to you about this crazy trend and how it is gradually becoming an intrinsic part of the Streetwear world. An expression of the thinning of the barriers that until recently so sharply divided the different areas of art, this new strand of contemporary art and collecting has given rise to a veritable universe of unique and iconic characters, created by artists, graphic designers and illustrators who want to explore new forms of art.
International artists of the caliber of Takashi Murakami, Ron English, Frank Kozik, and Jeff Koons-who kicked off the Air Baloon Dog series, continued by Jason Freeny and Whatshisname-were willing to measure themselves with this kind of “object-sculpture,” creating series of Art Toys depicting the most interesting subjects: reinterpretations of Pop Culture characters with intrinsic messages, cute yet frightening monsters, and crazy characters never seen before. Characters that became part of collections exhibited in prestigious museums and urban spaces, consecrating these toys as true works of art.
What started this new form of collecting was undoubtedly the Asian culture, Japan and Korea in the lead, where action figures have always been very successful. From there the phenomenon spread to become a truly global trend.In fact, the appearance of the first Art Toys is traced back to the second half of the 1990s, in Hong Kong, when artist Raymond Choy, founder of Toys2R, started the first series of Qee. Are toys somewhere between Lego and Playmobil characters, whose heads have zoomorphic features inspired by different animals depending on the model. However, the revolutionary feature of these toys lies in the introduction of the DIY (do it yourself) concept, which was extremely innovative within the vinyl figure world of the period, and which made the phenomenon explode.
The DIY Qee series were the first “Canva Toys,” objects that although with a defined shape are entirely customizable by buyers: generally white, on which one can put stickers, draw, color and paint to one’s liking with tempera, markers, crayons and whatnot. This concept of customization has generated great interest not only among amateur enthusiasts but also among many contemporary artists who have begun to use them as real canvases to create their works of art.
A few years after the phenomenon started by Toys2R with the Qee, other large companies developed their own series such as Medicom Toys’ Be@rbrick or American Kidrobot’s Dunny. These big companies produce their characters in different materials, usually wood, metal and vinyl, with well-defined features and style, characterizing the brand and collaborating with artists, designers and illustrators to whom they entrust the task, and the honor, of customizing them.
The evolution of Designer Toys, another name for these art toys, has not stopped with the customization of standard models, and this parallel world has developed in which the artist develops the form of the object, or the collection, completely independently, relying on the manufacturer only later, with ad hoc molds, as with some of the work of Kaws, Ron English and Mr.Brainwash. These works allow artists to approach the creation of Toys with a free and complete interpretation, working out their own unique style.
In addition to the stars mentioned initially, one cannot fail to mention the artists and designers of later generations, including Kaws, who, as mentioned earlier, have contributed to the creation of a well-defined style and are enjoying great success: Alec Monopoly, Joan Cornella, Hebru Brantley, Matt Gondek, Cote Escriva, Steven Harrington, Whatshisname, Emilio Garcia, WizardSkull, Abell Octovian and the very strong Francesco De Molfetta – aka “Demo” – and Fidia Falaschetti, who exhibited in Taipei at “All The Rage,” the world’s leading Urban Art event.
