HSIN-WEI'S BLOGGER: RESEARCH PAPER LAST DRAFT

Toys Become Art

Changes of Toy Design and Toy Consumers

Hsin-Wei Hsu

Intensive English Program

07/FA-ENGL-097-19

Sang Kim

October 22, 2007

Introduction

Walking into one of today's modern toy stores can make you have a whole new experience . Toys as an important part of children's lives have been coming to affect adults' lives, too. In the past, the meaning of toys was the things that children or pets can play with; however, recently their function and status have been changing. Art toys or design toys have been developing recently. Acroding to one studying (Crawford, 2005), art toys have been popular since the early 2000. This phenomenon is a part of a subculture trend which includsd urban art, street fashion, alternative comics, music and contemporary art and design. Art toys appreaded in Tokyo and Hong Kong first, then they becam popular throughout all the world. In 2000, some Japanese streetwear stores creadted their original toys as promotional items for their apparel labels. At the same time, a group of toys collectors and shop owners in Hong Kong hold toy conventions to show their wares. Some toys designers influenced by what was happening in Japan, and created their own original art toys. Now toys , which are a part of a subculture, have great influence on contemporary art. They not only have become mediums of art making, but also inspirations for artists. Phoenix (2006) has reported that "plastic objects are able to effortlessly assume forms and ideas of intense complexity or extreme simplicity, which means they can travel from an initial blank beginning to occupy emoyionally and intellctually satisfying territory in a way we traditionally demand of art" (Plastic Culture, 2006, p. 7 ). Toys become even artwork and have exhibitions in art museums. In April 2001, the famous Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami had his exhibition in the museum of fine art in Boston, and he showed some toy pieces of that he made. His artwork provide a conception which toys can be a form of art, and people have started to know about art toys or design toys. Obviously, the look of toys has been changing, and the buyers, too. The look of toys is rely on the design and materials, the design is becoming more artistic and there are more available materials can be used. The artistic design become the reason that not only children like it, but also adults. The toy consumer has been changing, some parent buy toys for themselves. With the expanding of art toys market, toys designer becoming a new popular job. Some toy designers have the unique styles on their toys, like Michael Lau and Kaws who are the successful toy designers, also, Medicom Toy company which have been making art toys since 1996 is the most famous art toy company.

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Changes in Design

The design between common toys and art toys is different, because of the function of each group are different. It is true that design is based on function. Art toys are not have to be safe and have developmental functions, because they are not made only for children. Some of art toys are like statues which are not movable, even some have arthrosis or joints, they are not totally movable, and the propose of them is to make some specific poses. Also, Art Toys can be decorations which have the same function as artwork. If toys are not playable, the safety and educational function are not necessary. The designs of Art Toys are focus on the special shape, beautiful colors , different poses and details which like the way that artists make their artwork. Some famous toys designers even show their own style on their toys which make people can discriminate them easily, just like when you see Van Gogh's unique touch, you can tell it is his painting.

Art toys are more delicated than common toys, also the size and weight are different. Common toys usually have small size and light weight, because most of the users are children. In art toys, size and weight have no limit, it all depand on the designer's idea. A big art toys could be 72cm high, and the weight is about 9 kg like the "1000% BE@RBRICK" which made by MEDICOM TOY. Also, art toys have more delicately details than common toys. In art toys, colors are painted carefully, even the edge between two colors is very specific. Some of them have many samll replacement components, which can change the toy's appearance or pose.

The materials of toys making are also changing. The common material is vinyl, PVC and ABS, which are kinds of plastic, and they are still popular toy's materials until now. Some previous toys are made by tin or superalloy, but at that time, the technic was not good, so the toy's shape and movement were limited. However, with the developing of toy's making technic, these problems have seloved. Besides, the mold making skill improves. Comparing with common toys, art toys are more weak. Having many delicated delitals and components lead to art toys cannot suffer impact; however, common toys are stronger, because they are made for children which need endurable and no small accessories for safety. Also, some art toys combine different materials together. They use the vinjl for making the main body, than use superalloy for the apparels. Some real action figures' apparels even made by real leather, silk and jeans.

Changes in Consumers

Changes in consumers is also a reason of art toys developing. Before art toys appeared, the toys' main users are children. However, after art toys created a trend to all the world, toys are not only for children anymore. Young people and adults purchase or collect toys. According to one study (Phoenix, 2006), art toys creat a new conception for toys. Toys, which are commercial objects are transformed into art. Some art toys are made depend on comic , movie or animation characters, these toys can make young people and adults have nastagic feeling. Through collecting these toys, people can feel satisfied. Also, art toys have another reason that attract people, they can make fantasy become true (p. 27). Art toys can satisfied with young people and adults' imagination, they can make monsters, super heroes, robots and animation characters become object which can be touched and exhibited.

Art toys have wide connection with subcultures, suck as movies, animations and street fashions. Many companies have cooperation with toys companies, which produce the limited edition for attracting customers. People who addict to these subculture stuff may have a lot of opportunities to involved in art toys. Recently, even some famous exclusive brands have been cooperating with toys company, for example, in June 2007, CHANEL(Figure 1), CARTIER(Figure 2), COACH(Figure 3) and some famous brands had special plane with Medicom Toys Company. They made different 1000% BE@RBRICK toys for charity bazaar.

Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3.

Coach 1000% Be@rbrick Chanel 1000% Be@rbrick Cartier 1000% Be@rbrick

Art Toy Designers

Art toy designers are like artists, which use the same way to create artwork. There are two famous toy designers and one big toy company which have became the symbol of art toys and have a great influence in art toy field.

Michael Lau

Michael Lau(Figure 4) is a famous toy designer from Hong Kong. He was one of the originators of art toys. He created his first art toys in 1999, the "Gardeners", twelve-inch vinyl figures dressed in urban fashions with tattoos, had great success. His art toys included art, toys and fashion, which made collectors saw a new styles of toys and art lovers saw a new mdeium for art representation.

Figure 4. Michael Lau

Kaws (US)

Kaws designs many unique toy figures which contain his special style. In 1999, he released his first vinyl toy, "Companion"(Figure 5), in partnership with Tokyo's Bounty Hunter. That established his position as a founding figure in the art toy movement.

Figure 5. Original Fake 4 Feet KAWS Companion Figure

MEDICOM TOY (JP)

MEDICOM TOY is a toy making company which established in 1996, located in Shibuya, Tokyo. It makes many unique and creative toys that creats a new art toys trend throughout the world. Also, MEDICOM TOY involves in fine art, fasion design and urban culture stuff. Cooperating with artists from different fields is the distinguishing feature of MEDICOM TOY.

Figure 6. MEDICOM TOY Logo

Conclusion

Toys have been developing into art productions which have unique design and artistic styles, also, the consumers and users have been changing. Some famous art toy designers like Michael Lau and Kaws create their own styles on toys, which make them like artwork and rise the status of toys. McCormick (2006) reported that "Vinyl figures might be trivialized as toys, but by lineage and legacy this is actually the kind of subgenre that belongs to the species of artists' multiples".Art Toys have been developed only for 7 years, they are still new issues. It seems reasonable that Art Toys connect art and fun together, they provide people have an oppiortunity to own a piece of art. In the future, Art Toys could play an important role in culture, also, be an essential medium for art.

Reference List

McCormick, C. (2006). Vinyl rules: surrogate sculptures and the manufacture of

ldentity.FullVinyl: The Subcersive Art of Designer Toys, 118-125

Crawford, J. (2005). Introduction. Toys New Desugns from the Art Toy Revolution.

Phoenix, W. (2006). Character Merchandising and Mascots. Plastic Culture: How Japanese

Toys Conquered the World, 27-29

Figure 1. Coach 1000% Be@rbrick, http://www.hypebeast.com/2007/05/berbrick-charity-

auction-event

Figure 2. Chanel 1000% Be@rbrick, http://www.hypebeast.com/2007/05/berbrick-charity-

auction-event

Figure 3. Cartier 1000% Be@rbrick, http://www.hypebeast.com/2007/05/berbrick-charity-

auction-event