The New Geppettos: Illustrators As Toy Makers
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THE NEW GEPPETTOS: ILLUSTRATORS AS TOY MAKERS BY STEVEN HELLER THE WRITER AND ART DIRECTOR STEVEN HELLER, A FREQUENT COMMENTATOR ON ILLUSTRATION, CASTS AN INFORMED EYE OVER THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON OF TOYS MADE BY ARTISTS. UNDER HELLER’S SCRUTINY, THE TREND IS REVEALED TO BE NOT AS ‘NEW’ AS IT MIGHT APPEAR. THE DADAISTS – AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE – GOT THERE FIRST. Upon entering this past summer’s landmark contemporary endeavor, read on. figures, but enjoy the design and tactility of these Dada exhibition at the Museum of Modern The Dadaists, as well as kindred Futurists enticingly odd products. Although the main Art in New York, I was struck dumb by a large (Fortunato Depero), Constructivists (El Lissitzky, difference between the new art toys and old glass case containing a dozen or so handmade Ladislav Sutnar), and Surrealists (Salvador Dali), licensed versions – Power Rangers, Transformers, dolls that resembled the weirdo-comic figurines designed uniquely eccentric and often bizarrely GI Joe – is their psychotic post-Pokemon look, sold at Kidrobot, the downtown New York and futuristic playthings for limited consumption. they nonetheless have similar marketing goals; LA emporia of contemporary artists’ vinyl and Pushing the limits of art and design was their both are produced to be sold in quantity, both plastic toys. However, this rare collection of collective mission and since toys were not part want to attract followings. Yet marketing aside, ogres, trolls, and robots were created over of the artistic cannon, the medium provided an these new art toys have something else going eighty years ago by artists such as Hannah Höch outlet for rebelliousness. The current wave of for them: attitude. The new plastic, soft and and partnership Sophie Taeuber and Raoul artist toys are made by poster artists, graphic vinyl toys are more like iconic statuary. They are Hausmann, and designed to be included in designers and comic book makers such as not actually meant to be played with, but rather Berlin Dada cabaret performances. And, like Frank Kozik, Geoff McFetridge, Gary Baseman displayed (or kept in their smartly designed those American Southwest native Hopi Kachina and Tim Biskup, among others. Their work packages). Object-ness is the key. dolls, to the untutored eye they looked like they often appears in alternative ‘weirdo’-mags So how have artist toys evolved from the might have been conceived yesterday. like Juxtapoz, and is an energized return to one-offs of the Modernists to the multiple The prodigious and financially lucrative what might best be described as a ‘consuming characters of the post-Modernists? How do they trend in eccentric, alternative toy objects, passion’. Unlike their modernist forebears, the keep from falling into the traps of mainstream which started over a decade ago in Japan and new toy-crazed producers are less concerned toy land? And why is there a common aesthetic washed over the United States and Europe, with making one-offs than multiples – that pervades the field and is imbued in even seemed so genuinely novel (in a post-punk- collectibles designed to feed their creative urges, the most outré of these toys? In the following new-wave-techno sort of way), that in some and simultaneously, satisfy the desires of their interviews with the new Gippettos – two pioneers circles these toys have come to define a 21st acquisitive audience. Whereas the Modernists from the early 'new' toy movement, the founder Century pop-cultural zeitgeist. They have agitatedly broke artistic conventions, the new of one of the leading toy emporia, and three certainly become an expressive medium for generation feverishly rejects the typical mass- contemporary toymakers – we are given an many artists and illustrators bereft of traditional market toy models that they grew up with, yet insight into their creative strategies. editorial and advertising outlets, and seem to have injected new concepts, materials and, most be an offshoot of new wave animation and importantly, new mass production techniques Further reading: graphic novels. into this otherwise venerable practice. www.vinylpulse.com But to realise that Dadaists – those old The new toy designers are filling a vacuum www.myplasticheart.com timers – had stolen this good idea back in among sophisticated toy-freaks who are no www.artoyz.com 1919 (even before vinyl had been invented) longer interested in mundane licensed comic underscores the notion that so much art of the and film character action figurines (even those All Dada images courtesy of National Gallery of late-20th and early-21st centuries is little more done as movie tie-ins designed by film maker Art in Washington (www.nga.gov) than retro reprise. Tim Burton). They are serving the aesthetic needs If this sounds harshly contemptuous of of people like me who never bought action 72 THE NEW GEPPETTOS 1/14 73 THE NEW GEPPETTOS 2/14 3 2 ALTHOUGH THE MAIN DIFFERENCE 11 BETWEEN THE NEW ART TOYS AND THE OLD LICENSED VERSIONS – POWER RANGERS, TRANSFORMERS, 4 5 6 GI JOE – IS THEIR 12 PSYCHOTIC POST-POKEMON LOOK, THEY NONETHELESS 10 13 HAVE SIMILAR MARKETING GOALS; BOTH 1 (page 73) 2 3 4 MUNNY several surprise MUNNY Dada Dolls Mechanical Head ‘22’, nails and bolt. Limbswish ARE PRODUCED Paul Budnitz and Tristan coloring books. Produced by Hannah Höch, 1916 (The Spirit of Our Age) Centre Pompidou, Musée Baroness Elsa von Freytag- Eaton, 2005 Kidrobot, Inc. Fabric, yarn, thread, board, Raoul Hausmann, c. 1920 national d’art moderne, Loringhoven, c. 1917-1918 TO BE SOLD IN 7" tall vinyl figure in black and beads. Berlinische Hairdresser’s wig-making Paris, 1974. CNAC/MNAM/ Metal spring, curtain tassle Available in 3 colors: white, Galerie – Landesmuseum für dummy, crocodile wallet, ruler, Dist. Réunion des Musées and wire mounted on wood 8 black and glow. Kidrobot’s Moderne Kunst, Fotografie pocket watch mechanism and Nationaux/Art Resource, NY. block. Mark Kelman, New QUANTITY, BOTH first do-it-yourself-toy, each und Architektur. © 2005 case, bronze segment of old © 2005 Raoul Hausmann/ York. set includes four secret mystery Hannah Höch/Artists Rights camera, typewriter cylinder, Artists Rights Society (ARS), WANT TO ATTRACT accessories, a hello-my- Society (ARS), New York/VG segment of measuring tape, New York/ADAGP, Paris. name-is card, and one of Bild-Kunst, Bonn. collapsible cup, the number FOLLOWINGS. 5 6 7 8 King Deramo The Middle-Class Philistine insignia of the Black Eagle © 2005 John Heartfield/ Muzribi (Bean Kachina) Hemis Sophie Taeuber, 1918 Heartfield Gone Wild Order on horse blanket, Artists Rights Society (ARS), Represents a prayer for (Rippened Corn Kachina) Turned and painted wood, George Grosz and Osram light bulb, Iron Cross, New York/VG Bild-Kunst, increased beans. Appears Appears in the Niman or bell, brass ornament, John Heartfield, 1988. stand and other objects. Bonn. in Powamu Bear Dance and Going Home ceremony. brocade and metal joints. Reconstruction of 1920 Berlinische Galerie – Mixed Dances. Courtesy Indicates that the corn crop Kunstgewerbesammlung im original. Electro-Mechanical Landesmuseum für Moderne Museum of Anthropology is assured. Courtesy Museum Museum Bellerive, Museum Tatlin Sculpture. Tailor’s Kunst, Fotografie und University of Michigan. of Anthropology University für Gestaltung Zürich dummy, revolver, doorbell, Architektur. Art © Estate of C. 1890-1940 (exact dates of Michigan. C. 1890-1940 Photo by Marlen Perez. knife, fork, letter ‘C’ and George Grosz/Licensed by not available). (exact dates not available). number ‘27’ signs, plaster VAGA, New York, NY dentures, embroidered 9 10 – 12 13 Ang-Akchina Marionette per “Balli Plastici” Rinoceronti (Rhinos) (Long Hair Kachina) Fortunato Depero, 1918 Fortunato Depero, 1923 The bringer of gentle rains (reconstructed in 1981) Courtesy Mart. and flowers. Appears in Courtesy Mart Museo di arte 9 Niman Home Dance. moderna e contemporanea Courtesy Museum of di Trento e Roverto, Italy Anthropology University of (www.mart.trento.it) Michigan. C. 1890-1940 7 (exact dates not available). 74 THE NEW GEPPETTOS 3/14 75 THE NEW GEPPETTOS 4/14 19 14 18 Byron Glaser, with Sandra Higashi, fit better in ‘arts and crafts’? A few years ago, invented Zolo, the post-modern MR. the toy industry recognized Zolo as creating Potato Head, and the first of the a new category – we called it ‘playsculpture.’ new wave of artist/designer toys. Before, Zolo toys were positioned for either boys or girls. Now there are lots of toys that Steven Heller: What inspired you and Sandra are for both. One of our favourite response Higashi to create Zolo? cards came from a woman in her nineties Byron Glaser: We were working on the interior who suffered from arthritis, she played with it graphics for the F.A.O. Schwarz flagship store everyday because it made her feel creative and on 5th Avenue in New York City and had started was good for her hands. Like Postmodernism, to look at the toys that were being offered; and Zolo rejects the boundaries between high and we both thought that there were some really big low forms of art. It is also about playfulness. I holes in the market. think there was a lot going on in the culture at Did you love toys as child and adult? that time that is reflected in Zolo. Maybe it’s the They have always played a part in our lives. patterns that feel like Memphis, but people have Sandra was very good to her toys and still has said it reminds them of Miro too. Part of the 16 some of them. I was much harder on mine. appeal of Zolo is that it often reminds people of How did Zolo reflect this passion? something. I think it more closely resembles the With Zolo we wanted to make a toy that inspired inside of Sandra’s wardrobe.