too young to die
“Too Young To Die” Ashtray™ – Yoshitomo Nara
So this is Day One of “At last you won’t risk getting lung cancer from spending too much time in a café-bar-restaurant-nightclub-pick your choice here” in France and what with the big fuss around that and the so predictable reports on the radio – I don’t watch the news on TV anymore, I got spare the smokers vs non-smokers images – but what it really made me think about this morning waking up was this ashtray based on a painting Yoshitomo Nara made in 2001. (I wonder however whether anyone has ever used the thing as an actual ashtray…)
Anyway, besides the other well-known figures made from Yoshitomo Nara’s work, the PupCup™ and the Little Wanderer™ – my favorite one so far – I recalled that this year another figure in a Limited Edition of 300 had been released by How2Work. It’s called “Sleepless Night” (sitting), retail price was HK$7800 (around EUR 730 or US$ 1,000 at the time back in July), but even though you might have had the money it was still a tough job to get one. But the only thing that really matters is that it is amazingly and breathtakingly beautiful.
“Sleepless Night” (sitting), Yoshitomo Nara, 2007
However, if you happen to be interested in the financial aspects relative to art, while researching for this article – believe it or not I do research before writing – I found out that there has been a recent auction at Sotheby’s Paris about Contemporary Art and that number 276/300 of “Sleepless Night” sold there for 9,850 euros (14,415 US$).
Yoshitomo Nara @ Blum & Poe + Yoshitomo Nara on Flickr
Shopping @
Addict Galerie + Artoyz + Giant Robot + Inhabit [Canada] + Little Fashion Gallery + Museum of Contemporary Art [Chicago] + My Plastic Heart + Raw Space [Australia] + retromodern.com + unicahome
brendan monroe studio visit @ fecal face
Brendan Monroe Assimilation, 2007
26×40 Inches, Acrylic on Paper
Richard Heller Gallery
With Brendan Monroe’s solo show “Insides” opening at Richard Heller Gallery, Fecal Face takes us for a visit inside his & Evah Fan’s studio in Berkeley. Besides some great shots taken around the place you can see some of Evah’s work plus of course some of Brendan’s recent work. And there’s a really nice video ending with Brendan taking us inside his giant interactive sculpture titled “Borborygmi” which “represents a giant walk through plush stomach”.
I absolutely love those peeks into artists’ studios and workplaces and I had already mentioned PROJECT S2DIO #049 – BRENDAN MONROE by www.glltn.com.
The show at Richard Heller Gallery has just opened and there are not many reviews yet but you can see some pictures of the works shown on Flickr.
brendan monroe bacterium mug
Ceramic coffee mug by Brendan Monroe on Park Life, go to Homewares.
New in 2007. Very limited Edition of 150 pcs.
Brendan Monroe is an amazingly great artist. I discovered his work at the same time I discovered art toys since his Sour figures were then being released amidst quite a bit of turmoil as I seem to recall. The toys had been shown back in 2005 at SDCC and were first scheduled for October/November of the same year, but as is often the case with vinyl figures the production experienced some delays so that even though they were at some point announced for late January 2006 they were not actually released until April 2006. The release itself was a bit chaotic since it was mostly done through pre-orders and it seemed Glen Liberman from Android 8 was doing pretty much everything by himself. You could find the Green and Brown versions in a couple of shops though, but the Red Sour was a Munky King exclusive and the Orange one which was an Android 8 exclusive was sold solely at SDCC.
These “toys” are truly fantastic figures. They are a bit scary at first sight but they are so unlike anything else and so “strange” and sculptural that for many people – including myself – they ranked among the best and most beautiful toys produced in 2006. I love them. I love their strangeness and mystery. (And, Oh joy, I even managed to buy the Green one a couple of months later from Giant Robot – the Brown one was unfortunately “sold out”).
Indeed they have all long been “Sold Out” and the only way to get one – you guessed right – is eBay. Of course the prices today for those figures are quite insane – not to say totally insane if you are aiming for a complete set (the last complete set of four on eBay sold for a little more than $800 about 2 weeks ago) – so if you really love Brendan Monroe’s work for that price you could as well get an original painting or one of his Microbes. Or for less money than you would pay for one Green or Brown Sour you can also buy one of his Potato Heads at HarnerHouse. And truly it is a mystery to me that these sculptures be still available… (Edit : A friend of mine tried to order these and they are in fact sold out. I am sorry since it was not clear at all on the site. 21 September 2007)
Potato head (large) + Potato Head (small) by Brendan Monroe (2005, resin & wood, signed)
Also from HarnerHouse : In Case of Paper Face, a small interactive book.
Other books and zines :
Sour Leaves available at NOWhere Limited and Rotofugi.
Organelles available directly from Brendan Monroe.
Brendan Monroe
Brendan Monroe’s Studio PROJECT S2DIO #049 by www.glltn.com.
Upcoming exhibition “Insides” at Richard Heller Gallery from October 13 to November 11, 2007.
The Sours by Brendan Monroe :
Sculpted by Dave Pressler
Produced by UNKL for Android 8.
According to Squidoo numbers were as followed :
1. Brendan Monroe Sour Brown 400 Produced
2. Brendan Monroe Sour Green 400 Produced
3. Brendan Monroe Sour Red (Munkey King Exclusive) 100 Produced *At Last Report 50 Actually Sold To The Public*
4. Brendan Monroe Sour Orange (Android 8 Exclusive) 100 Produced *SDCC Exclusive Now* *At Last Report Only 50 Will Actually Be Sold To The Public*
black polito revealed
Black Polito by Rolito (Photos through Paradise Toy News)
So there was a party in Tokyo on August 28 to celebrate the birth of the Black Polito label – the “aperolito” – unveiling the first pictures of the Black Polito. For the moment there seems to be three versions of the toy but the official names have not yet been disclosed. So that beside a “shiny black” Black Polito, there’s also a “smokey clear” Black Polito as well as a “milky white” one.
What can I say ? It’s beautiful and I absolutely love the “black” and the “milky” versions.
artoyz on flickr
Kaws Dissected Companion on Artoyz’ Flickr.
When you think about it, it’s kind of strange they did not have a Flickr account before, especially since they always take their own pictures of the toys they are selling online – and pretty good pictures too ! In fact, I had never realized until now that they might well be the only art toys shop using their own photos rather than stock company pictures. But the thing is they are extremely busy guys – not to mention that most of the time they seem to be working amidst high piles of cardboard boxes (*see evidence below), this obviously not helping to get a clear view of things – and sometimes in order to get ahead you just need some new blood. For instance, get an enthousiastic hardworking young trainee in graphic design named Stéphane, and there you are ! In no time you have a Flickr account (where your great photos of toys can now be seen by more than just the small crowd of toy addicts even long after a toy is sold out) + a new blog (where your fine and fun writing can now get a chance to be read).
As I understand, they will use the Flickr to post pictures of toys they will not post anywhere else. Plus it will be an opportunity to actually see for more than 2 minutes those toys that regularly create upon their release within the (very) tiny toy community such fits of fever that would be totally incomprehensible to any casual observer. I’m referring here to the Kaws and Co, those that get “sold out” the very minute they are online, and if your web server doesn’t crash then you are very lucky !
As for the blog (French version only), there was a magazine section on Artoyz – the articles have now all been moved to the new blog – but since Flash is not ideal for reading anything most people (including myself) had forgotten it even existed, which was a shame really for Bonfil, who writes most of the articles, has a very nice way with words.
* Exhibit 1 – Exhibit 2
Also see the shop review of Artoyz on guillotine.
Artoyz Paris 45 rue de l’arbre Sec 75001 PARIS
Artoyz Lyon 18 rue des capucins 69001 LYON
nanacompany… pretty little things
ice flower tank for girls + camilla, crazy dot, half-apron for girls + playtime sugar cookies in a lil bakery box + playtime sugar cookies in a mini-valise style lunchbox, limited edition by nanaCompany on Etsy.
Those are only a few of the exquisite items you will find in Amy Sinibaldi’s shop!
I first noticed the cookies because I am only just discovering “felt food” so every time I come across one of these things, I feel like a child and look with amazement. But very often having said “how cute” well, there’s not much more left. I mean these things are “cool” and “nice” indeed but, so what? You see them and like them, and then usually forget about them.
I think Amy’s cookies go beyond the “cuteness thing”. They have this special quality, a kind of perfection achieved no doubt with carefully chosen materials and great care and love making them. Look at the full sized image on her Flickr here. Aren’t they just the nicest cookies you ever saw? Don’t you feel like touching them? I myself am not into pinky things and yet they appeal to me in a way I cannot totally explain.
Somehow I think there is something magical in Amy’s creations. She writes :
My husband likens me to a magic elf who only works when everyone’s asleep — pretty little things “magically” appear on the kitchen table in the morning!
I like the Fairy Tale imagery, because I think it acounts a lot for the beautiful world nanaCompany proposes. Those creations seem to me to be more related to a fantastic and ideal world than to the “real” world.
They are meant to be gifts :
a unique and special gift… perfect as a birthday present, end of school surprise, or merry happy un-birthday treat!
And this is exactly what they are, “unique and special”, thus clearly stating to the child you are offering them “you are unique and special and deserve to have beautiful things because I care about you”.
Amy Sinibaldi is making them for little girls, and the modern woman in me – noticed how I managed not to say the word “feminist” here, oops now i’ve said it – the modern woman in me is wondering why it is still only girls who should get offered cooking ustensils (the miniature “just-her-size” wooden spoon) and aprons. Some might argue that the fabrics nanaCompany uses have definitely “girly” patterns and colors. I am not so sure. And anyway, cookies are not just for girls, are they ? And the kitchen is no longer the realm of women exclusively, at least not in my world…
This being said, Amy Sinibaldi’s creations are more modern and less “conservative” or “nostalgic” than they might appear at first sight. The fabrics she uses are elegant and I particularly like the from tokyo with love apron, and pink lemonade is fresh and nice too. There is also another tank with a bit more color and less classical feel to it : pretty posy tank.
Note that she can customize your order. For instance you can ask for your favorite color for the buttons on the ice flower tank. You can also order an adult size apron for 28$… (Anyway she pretty much makes everything upon order, so that you have to allow 2 weeks for your order to be ready to ship.)
Enjoy !
black polito : the blog
My first post on this blog was about Black Polito.
We don’t know much more about it, but you can now follow the project on a blog : Black Polito. And as you would have guessed, it is both elegant and beautiful !
And there are still the Black Polito Stickers Gallery as well as the We love Rolito pool on Flickr.
Two pictures I like among them : Red for Rolito by krysto_O and Rolitobleu by Shifty.
mysterious toy by rolito soon to be released
It is called BLACK POLITO and this is all we got to see of it for the moment !
But first I should tell you how happy I am to be able to write my very first post on this blog about Rolito because I truly think he is one of the greatest Toy Designers of our days. I love his work. It is subtle, poetic and there is infinite grace in his characters. I am not one of those collectors who need to have all the color versions of a toy, so I only have a couple of Rolitoboys, but my Rolitodream is standing right beside my computer as I am writing this post.
So of course, when I learned about this next project, even though we were told very little about the toy, I knew I had to have one. Especially since this will be a limited edition of 50. I then joined the list of the 25 happy people who were able to preorder the BLACK POLITO. There is already a great waiting list in case some people should ultimately decide not to get one, and if you know your maths, only 25 will be available upon release, so it will be really hard to get one !
But the great news is that BLACK POLITO is not only the name of a toy. It is under that name that subsequent projects by Rolito will be released.
Until now, Rolito’s toys were produced by Toy2r. I don’t know whether this collaboration will go on or not, but BLACK POLITO is Rolito’s first self produced toy in association with Vince, a well-known member of the Artoyz Forum. About 15 cm high, it is being made in Japan and is scheduled to be released this summer.
For more information : blackpolitoproject@gmail.com
Also see on Flickr the Black Polito Stickers Gallery group as well as the we love rolito pool.
