20 Aug 2008
Article - 13.03.2007
Assembling approximately 400 figures from the world's leading figure creators, Full Vinyl presents an omnibus survey of this burgeoning field.
I grew up with two brothers, who both loved plastic toys. The first toy I remember was Action Jackson: ‘the biggest little man in the world of adventure and only eight inches tall’; a crudely constructed doll with elastic securing his limbs in place. GI Joe entered our lives, with his perfectly-flocked head of hair and a large facial scar, at around the same time I received my first ‘plastic’ — a 1950s Barbie complete with period outfits; a hand-me-down from my cousin. Barbie had a Marilyn Monroe-style blonde bouffant and came complete with a brunette pony-tailed, replaceable head.
My brothers still collect toys; that’s what boys do. So it was fascinating to read Full Vinyl and discover where a toy-collecting passion can take you. Vinyl toys, which first appeared in the 1990s, are usually limited edition toys created by artists and designers. This is serious business. I recall happening upon a store in the lower-east side of Manhattan in the early 90s that exclusively sold vinyl toys. This was my first experience of the subculture. The store had an air of seriousness, like an art gallery, full of earnest types, pondering which new piece to buy. It’s easy to see why collecting these art toys can become addictive and obsessive, they are often beautifully designed and frequently in limited edition, giving impetus to the thrill of the chase.
While the Japanese have made cute toys a ‘national trademark’, Full Vinyl tells the story of vinyl toy obsession in the context of a global phenomenon. It introduces us to some of the biggest names in the business, like Australia’s own Nathan Jurevicius and his mushroom-headed character Naal; the UK artist AMOS and his unsettling congregations of figures; and the American illustrator Gary Baseman, who once said, ‘The world is a crazy ass place and the work shows that. Fear, anxiety, sex and gore.’ He likens these subversive toys to Disney, Warhol and, interestingly, Ralph Lauren, who Baseman purports ‘[they] created an empire of images and were willing to fight for a revolution of imagery that everyone can appreciate, not only the elite.’
The book is written by Ivan Vartanian, an author and editor, and the founder of Goliga Books, which specialises in art, photography, and design. The book includes seven essays, including a fascinating look at the mass-produced collectible by Andrea Robbins who, with Max Becher, documented classic Star Wars toys by drawing comparisons between the original issue toys from 1979 and the re-issued versions from 1997.
Full Vinyl is a beautifully designed book, with a corrugated card cover printed in pink fluoro, embedded with the perfect teaser – a pink vinyl key ring. This book is a great reference for the already converted and a comprehensive entrée into the world of collectible vinyl toys for beginners. Start your collection today.
Full Vinyl
The Subversive Art of Designer Toys
By Ivan Vartanian
USD$29.95
Hardcover
Published by HarperCollins
Ivan Vartanian
Suzanne Boccalatte is a Sydney-based graphic designer.
TAGS
+ Vinyl toys
+ Book review
My brothers still collect toys; that’s what boys do. So it was fascinating to read Full Vinyl and discover where a toy-collecting passion can take you. Vinyl toys, which first appeared in the 1990s, are usually limited edition toys created by artists and designers. This is serious business. I recall happening upon a store in the lower-east side of Manhattan in the early 90s that exclusively sold vinyl toys. This was my first experience of the subculture. The store had an air of seriousness, like an art gallery, full of earnest types, pondering which new piece to buy. It’s easy to see why collecting these art toys can become addictive and obsessive, they are often beautifully designed and frequently in limited edition, giving impetus to the thrill of the chase.
While the Japanese have made cute toys a ‘national trademark’, Full Vinyl tells the story of vinyl toy obsession in the context of a global phenomenon. It introduces us to some of the biggest names in the business, like Australia’s own Nathan Jurevicius and his mushroom-headed character Naal; the UK artist AMOS and his unsettling congregations of figures; and the American illustrator Gary Baseman, who once said, ‘The world is a crazy ass place and the work shows that. Fear, anxiety, sex and gore.’ He likens these subversive toys to Disney, Warhol and, interestingly, Ralph Lauren, who Baseman purports ‘[they] created an empire of images and were willing to fight for a revolution of imagery that everyone can appreciate, not only the elite.’
The book is written by Ivan Vartanian, an author and editor, and the founder of Goliga Books, which specialises in art, photography, and design. The book includes seven essays, including a fascinating look at the mass-produced collectible by Andrea Robbins who, with Max Becher, documented classic Star Wars toys by drawing comparisons between the original issue toys from 1979 and the re-issued versions from 1997.
Full Vinyl is a beautifully designed book, with a corrugated card cover printed in pink fluoro, embedded with the perfect teaser – a pink vinyl key ring. This book is a great reference for the already converted and a comprehensive entrée into the world of collectible vinyl toys for beginners. Start your collection today.
Full Vinyl
The Subversive Art of Designer Toys
By Ivan Vartanian
USD$29.95
Hardcover
Published by HarperCollinsIvan VartanianSuzanne Boccalatte is a Sydney-based graphic designer.
TAGS
+ Vinyl toys
+ Book review