Toys
KAWS
Brian Donnelly (born 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey), professionally known as KAWS, is a New York-based artist and designer of limited edition toys and clothing. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
KAWS was born Brian Donnelly in Jersey City, New Jersey. He graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration in 1996. After graduation, KAWS briefly worked for Disney as a freelance animator painting backgrounds. He also contributed to the animated series 101 Dalmatians, Daria and Doug.
He began his career as a graffiti artist growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey. Later moving to New York City in the 1990s, KAWS started subverting imagery on billboards, bus shelters and phone booth advertisements. These reworked advertisements were at first left alone, lasting for up to several months, but as KAWS’ popularity skyrocketed, the ads became increasingly sought after. In addition to New York, KAWS has done work in Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo.
In the late 90s, KAWS began to design and produce limited edition vinyl toys, “an instant hit with the global art toy-collecting community,” especially in Japan, where this genre is well respected and widespread. More toys and later clothing were made for Original Fake, a recent collaborative store with Medicom Toy, in the Aoyama district of Tokyo where an original limited edition product is released each week. KAWS has also participated in other commercial collaborations with Nigo for A Bathing Ape, Jun “Jonio” Takahashi for Undercover, Michael “Mic” Neumann for Kung Faux, snowboard projects with Burton, and sneakers withNike and Vans. His most recent collaboration was with Comme des Garçons.
KAWS’ acrylic paintings and sculpture have many repeating images, all meant to be universally understood, surpassing languages and cultures. One of KAWS’ early series, Package Paintings, was made in 2000. This series, entitled The Kimpsons, subverted the famous American cartoon, The Simpsons. KAWS explains that he “found it weird how infused a cartoon could become in people’s lives; the impact it could have, compared to regular politics.” In addition, KAWS has reworked other familiar icons such as Mickey Mouse, the Michelin Man and the Smurfs.
Through all of his projects, KAWS has successfully blurred the line between fine art and mass-produced merchandise. He uses his products to allow his imagery to infiltrate a larger audience than that of the fine art world. The artist is currently an active member in both the commercial and fine art communities. Recent solo exhibitions include OriginalFake at the Bape Gallery in Tokyo (2003) where his sculpture “Wonderful World” sold for $400,000. KAWS has been periodically showing both paintings and products at Colette in Paris since 1999. His work is included in the traveling exhibition Beautiful Losers, which started at the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center and will be traveling through 2009 throughout the US and Europe.
LOS JUGUETES DE KATHIE OLIVAS
Are children really as innocent and harmless as they might first appear? In the world of Kathie Olivas, the answer clearly is “No!”
Working in oils on wood or canvas, Tampa-based Olivas presents a surreal world of disarmingly “aware” little people and she has brought that world to Pittsburgh with her solo-show “Cadaverous Mob” on view at Blue Ruin Gallery.
Clearly children, but evoking a sense of adult knowledge and vices, her paintings of quirky little kids are designed to put you on edge and reflect an environment of isolation, fear and uncertainty in what she calls a “satirical look at how fear affects our sense of reality.”
ARTIST: KATHIE OLIVAS ⎮ COUNTRY: TAMPA/FLORIDA/US ⎮ WEB: www.miserychildren.com
MR JAGO
Interview with MrJago
What’s your background? Art school? Self learner? Art for Dummies?
I did go to university in Bristol to study illustration but the type of work i do now was frowned upon . I kept doodling on the down low though and have sort of taught myself to paint by exploring the medium .
How will you describe your art for somebody who doesn’t know your stuff?
Nowadays .. hmm . . abstract animation without a move
What are your favorite materials to work with?
At the moment im loving a mix of spray-paint and acrylics . Dots mixed with brush marks
How long does it take you to produce a piece? Do you start out with a sketchbook or do you freehand all the way?
It varies , sometimes i have a more epic piece in mind in which case i will plan the composition and colours ect… these usually end up taking me quite a while to get to a point where i think is the end [ this could be a week or so ] .But a lot of the time i will start by free-styling and see where it takes me . It could take 3hrs it could take a day or two .
Where do you get your inspiration from?
A lot of my inspiration comes from things i see in nature mixed with a little bit of imagination .Clouds have been a major source of imagery lately . Music is a constant
Do you paint/work outside sometimes? Where can we see your stuff?
I have painted a few walls out and about although ive never been a stealth bomber . There are a few spots around Bristol where you can see stuff i have done usually with another artist or two . Mostly legal of course .I survived a summer or two ago by begging local businesses to let me paint their shops/salons/stairways whatever so there are quite a few interiors around Bristol that have had a lick of colour.
Who influence you the most, any favorite artist(s)?
My ultimate force inspirer as an artist is Futura 2000 . Lord fresh of future communication .
Living as an artist is sometimes difficult financially, any part time job?
This has been the 1st year in my ten year career where art has let me eat and pay bills like a normal person .In the past i have considered making painting/drawing my hobby and looking for something a little more “secure” but have then come to the realization that i am pretty much unqualified to fit any other career . It can still get quite sticky at times and you can never relax but i guess thats all part of the challenge .
Best Gallery in the world? and why?
0ooh i don’t know . I usually think fondly of a gallery when they are fun people to work with the Don in Milan is doing good work and has an art collection to die for . He is truly passionate about the ” outsider ” art scene and a dude to boot stick .
Best City to paint outside? and why?
Sidney in November . Hot . Friendly folks . Beers and flip flops
Beer and Fag or Tea and Biscuit?
Daytime : tea and fag —- night time : beer fag and biscuit . Tea is incredibly important of course each little bag of angel shavings that is sacrificed brings me closer to enlightenment . With two sugars
What are your plans in the near future? Any upcoming exhibitions?
There are things going into the diary for solo & group shows planned for 2009 and 2010 which is a nice feeling . I need goals and deadlines or i end up wondering around like an dazed outpatient . 2009 i have a show with the Don Gallery in Milan and am taking part of a group show with thinkspace in L.A. then in 2010 i have a solo show with Thinkspace . Hopefully there will be other bits n bobs in between those shows .
ARTIST: DUNCAN JAGO/MR JAGO ⎮ COUNTRY: UNITED OF KINGDOM ⎮ WEB
ScaryGirl: Nathan Jurevicius
Australian born artist Nathan Jurevicius moves his Scarygirl franchise into the game world with a new Flash animated production developed by the Melbourne office of passion pictures. Jurevicius: “in the past fans have had a glimpse of the Scarygirl universe through designer toys and mini-comics but the online game will incorporate a new chapter to the brand. now old and new fans will have a chance to discover her journey on a deeper, more satisfying level.”
This introductory trailer for the game site was directed and animated by chris hauge at halo pictures from a script written by Simon racioppa and richard elliot of reptile Films. the trailer was produced using Flash and Maya, and composited in Shake. chris hauge also supervised all the production of key Scarygirl character animation cycles for the game.
BTW: Scarygirl is the story of a little girl who was abandoned at birth and raised by a friendly giant octopus (blister), and guided by a mystic rabbit (bunniguru) on her quest to discover her origins.
Graphic Designer: Nathan Jurevicius ⎮ Director: Chris Hauge ⎮ Animation: Halo Pictures ⎮ Production: Passion Pictures Australia ⎮ Software: Flash, Anime Studio, Shake, Maya, After Effects, Body Paint, Photoshop
Mons: Un Lavabo Monstruoso
Este lavabo con forma de monstruo fomenta la diversión y el ahorro en los mas pequeños; tiene sensores de movimiento para activar el flujo de agua, formas redondeadas para evitar golpes con esquinas sospechosas y una altura adecuada para niños. También ahorra jabón gracias al dispensador con forma de único diente y han diseñado una versión muy ilustrativa en la que puedes plantar hierba en la cabeza del monstruo dando una lección basica y vital sobre la necesidad y virtudes del agua para todo ser vivo. El diseño se adapta a diferentes versiones ampliadas, para escuelas y espacios públicos.
Mons Lavabo es un diseño de los Españoles Teng Chuan Tey y Romualdo Faura Bernabe.
It’s tough being a little person in a grown-up world. To make life less of an obstacle course for the vertically challenged, Teng Chuan Tey and Romualdo Faura Bernabe from Spain have designed a wash basin that not only takes a child’s diminutive stature into account, but it also makes observing basic hygiene less of a chore. Their Mons Lavabo, a short-listed entry in Designboom’s Green Life contest, is shaped like a friendly monster that easily accommodates younger children with its sized-down proportions. Read on to see how Mons Lavabo helps kids conserve water while washing their hands!
Made from Duralmond, a mixture of crushed almond husks that is completely biodegradable and recyclable, Mons prevents a broad, molded surface that avoids the bumping hazard that the bottoms of traditional sinks pose. To sidestep the problem of children who cannot reach the faucet — and to prevent water wastage from forgetful or lingering tots — Tey and Barnabe propose motion-detecting water controls.
Besides a wraparound design that cleverly keeps splashing to a minimum, Mons features another fun touch: its lone tooth is actually a built-in soap dispenser. Other designs include an expanded Mons that accommodates several kids at a time, as well as a model you can grow plants on top of.
Designers: Teng Chuan Tey and Romualdo Faura Bernabe | Country: Spain
David Lanham: Dibujos y Figuras de Vinilo
Strangekiss en colaboración con David Lanham ya sacaron una edición limitada de la figura de “Bill The Yeti” y tienen previsto producir los caracteres de “Fetch – Peet and Barnaby” y “Maxswell – The Bubble Monster”. Mientras tanto seguiremos disfrutando de sus dibujos, bocetos y demás material gráfico.
Diseñador: David Lanham | País: Estados Unidos | Web
