Designer toys, also referred
to as art toys, plastic designer figurines, urban vinyl figures, amongst many
other names, are static (with movable parts or removable parts, or not)
figures, predominately from some form of plastic that aim to please your sight,
show some attitude, or boost your ego (when you are a collector). Designer toys
first appeared in the 1990s with the proliferation of plastics in the toy
industry, as newer, more advanced materials became cheaper and more available
to the independent designers, to mold and experiment in new forms and project
their creativity.
Designer toys mainly are toys
and other collectibles produced in limited editions (as few as 10 or as many as
2000 pieces) and created by artists and designers. Designer toys are made of
variety of materials; ABS plastic and vinyl are most common, although wood,
metal, and resin are occasionally used. The term also encompasses plush, cloth
and latex dolls. Creators of designer toys usually have backgrounds in graphic
design, illustration or self-described low brow art; some are classically
trained in art and design, while others are self-taught. [1]
The concept of urban vinyl
was pioneered by an artist named Michael Lau, who first created urban vinyl
figures in Hong Kong in the late 1990s. Other artists who started creating urban
vinyl figures included Japanese artist/designer Takashi Murakami, Australian
designer Nathan Jurevicius (Scarygirl), Los Angeles based Craig Anthony Perkins
(Broken Heart Robot), and former graffiti artist KAWS. An urban vinyl toy is
made of soft vinyl that is hollow on the inside like a rubber duck. Soft vinyl figures are made of soft PVC which
are produced by a process called rotocasting or centrifugal casting. These toys
are essentially a medium where art is exhibited as a toy in limited editions.
Artists use this kind of collectible toy as a platform to make their art more
affordable. In stead of paying $20,000 for an original Pop Surrealism/Lowbrow
Art painting, why not just pay $50-$100 for a limited edition toy and add that
piece to your ART collection ? [2]
Qee (pronounced
"key") are a collection of designer toys created by Hong Kong-based
company Toy2R, which was founded by Raymond
Choy in 1995. Qee figures vary in their design. The original Qee has a body
that resembles an extremely simplified human form, somewhat similar in
appearance to Playmobil or LEGO figures, though distinctively round and squat.
A Dunny is a type of vinyl
designer toy created by Paul Budnitz and Tristan Eaton, and produced by Kidrobot from 2004. The toy is based on a
rabbit figure with distinctive tubular ears. The origin of the name Dunny came
from a combination of street slang and one of the early "Devil Bunny"
prototypes.
From Kidrobot also came
Munny. A Munny is a figure made out of vinyl with movable joints. The figures
are sold blank and the owner can decorate them using pens, pencils, markers,
paint, and other supplies. Alternatively, many people commission artists to
design Munnys for them, or artists design them to sell.
The Designer Toy Awards (DTAs) is the
leading award honoring excellence and innovation in the Designer Toy community.
Established in 2011, the DTAs are presented by the Clutter Media Group — a
leading informational organization within Designer Toys, an industry that after
more than a decade has become a prominent and legitimate form of artistic and
commercial expression as well as a leader in global trendsetting. Each year,
the DTAs bring together the Designer Toy community all over the world.
There are various books out
there that try to collate all different figures and toys created over the
years, by the so many designers and artists. Two are my favorites : "Dot
Dot Dash!: Designer Toys, Action Figures and Characters" from Robert
Klanten and Matthias Hubner, and "I am Plastic" (vol.1&2) by Paul
Budnitz. Check out also ARTOYZ, a
french company dedicated to sell, promote and produce Designer Toys and Urban
Vinyl Figures. The company based in Paris
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