The floating world of designer toys
21 Comments so far
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21 Comments so far
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you are a designer toy.
jk
Comment by floydy January 14, 2008 @ 9:00 amI dont know what it is, but all this vinyl/plush toy business is pretty lame to me. And the prices are totally out of whack with what you are getting. I am unsure why, especially in Asian cultures that toys garner such vast attention and interest?
Comment by The AP January 14, 2008 @ 10:24 amOn one hand designer toys are exactly what they seem to be: another way to waste one’s money by collecting objects -consumerism as a means to an end.
On the other hand, as these photos clearly illustrate, designer toys do have a bizarre energy that gives them a life of their own. Living in a post-religious culture, a vacuum is created by the absence of religious iconography. So instead of having a small statue of the virgin mary or buddha, you have the something like the black dunny up top, or the translucent electric sheep light.
This idea gains a bit of gravity if we analyze the Japanese origins of vinyl toy culture. When one compares these toys to the ancient icons and objects associated with Japan’s native Shintoism, the cultural lineage – from ancient myth to pop consumerism, becomes quite clear.
Comment by thepublics January 14, 2008 @ 2:34 pmInteresting. I don’t think we are living in a post religious time period. Given the state of the world, I would say that religion and religious fanaticism is at an all time high – that’s why the middle east is currently so unstable. In the west, the religious vote still controls who wins presidency of the united states. Every conflict we are currently facing globally involves religion. Therefore can we really be in a post religious culture?
I would also argue that religious iconography is still abundant. In fact, some of the worlds most recognized symbols and people are directly linked to religious origins.
Are people now so culturally void that a plastic toy can be looked at in the same light as religious iconography. That seems a little bit ludicrous.
I also thought Shintoism referred to “the way of the gods”. So how is the link between ancient myth and pop culture clear? It would appear that it is rather convoluted.
Nevertheless, the culture surrounding Vinyl toys is an interesting trend.
Comment by The Aesthetic Poetic January 14, 2008 @ 3:26 pmHaha nice, a face off between The Publics and The Aesthetic Poetic. I have to admit I’m eager to read ****’s rebuttal.
Comment by TIER ZERO January 14, 2008 @ 10:51 pmSo of the 42 wars/conflicts around the globe, all of them are due to religion?
I think The Aesthetic Poetic needs to do his homework before spouting off like a pretentious know-it-all.
Comment by Mike January 15, 2008 @ 4:58 amnice photos
Comment by tommykane January 15, 2008 @ 5:53 amI think Mike needs to do his homework and tell us what wars or conflicts are not attributed to religion or politics. Do homework? Mike I think you need to go to school first!
Comment by The AP January 15, 2008 @ 9:22 amAlso, I dont think presenting an argument should be construed as “spouting off like a pretentious know-it-all”. It’s just a point of view.
Comment by The AP January 15, 2008 @ 9:25 amWow peeps! They’re just toys.
Comment by Blaspheme Bourne January 15, 2008 @ 11:08 am[...] The floating world of designer toys « The Publics I think I’m starting to understand this designer toy thing now. (tags: toys vinyl designer photos) [...]
Pingback by links for 2008-01-15 » a big guy in a big city January 15, 2008 @ 12:17 pmIts slightly chliche!
Comment by Danielle Payton January 15, 2008 @ 2:05 pmBut some of them look rather nice.
I wouldnt really class them as toys.
More… ornoments.
Cool photos, cool toys. Some are so weird! Thanks for sharing; I def. enjoyed this!
Comment by Amkii January 15, 2008 @ 7:03 pmyo i luv these toys.. i had a post about em a couple days ago..lol
Comment by Manny January 15, 2008 @ 7:05 pmNice collection! I see toys as a fun way for an artist to earn a living.
Comment by mimisleepwalks January 15, 2008 @ 8:55 pmAP, you made the ridiculous claim in the first place; it’s your job to back it up. And when you state a “point of view” as though it were a fact, it is pretentious, not to mention false in this case.
Many wars are fought over resources and political power, having nothing to do with religion. Look at some of the conflicts in Africa and South America for example.
Anyway, sorry to trash over this nice article. Designer toys are cool, though I agree with some of the others that some of the designs are becoming cliché.
Comment by Mike January 16, 2008 @ 1:42 amWho thought that toys could become such a contentious topic?
To be honest I got bored with most of the political/resource/religion wars comments…we know why wars happen. But I think it’s fair to have the opinion that we live in a post-religious society…not everywhere mind you, but certainly more here in Canada than south of the border. Unlike the current American situation, Canadians have gone a generation without war (Afganistan not included, because it’s not really OUR war). An absence of war and an ability to have whatever we want at the click of a mouse, has left faith in the dust. Who needs to pray for anything when we’ve already got EVERYTHING? Need proof? Membership in the church that I grew up going to has shrunk significantly every year since I was a teenager because like me, nobody goes anymore. And I’m not talking about my congregation, I’m talking about the entire Canadian branch of Christianity that I grew up with.
Publics, I know what you were trying to say.
Comment by craig January 16, 2008 @ 8:05 pmNot all of Canada is post-religious, but the majority of Urban Canadians under 30 definitely are.
Although it’s easy to replace Christianity’s value system with ones own personal moral philosophy (especially in pursuit of the all mighty dollar), I think the aesthetics of religion are alot harder to replace and most people subconsciously fill this vacancy with a variety of products that they infuse with some sort of meaning.
As per my example of post-Shinto Japan. Seeing as Shinto isn’t even much of a “religion” to begin with but more of a structured animist spirituality, it hasn’t been rejected consciously but over time, has taken on a pop aesthetic for the younger generations.
Toy collections replace home shrines, and anime hits like “Sprited Away” replace more traditional texts.
As for the “post-Christians” our new aesthetic is a bit harder to pin down because religion is more of a “contentious topic” in our societies. Post-Christian Canadians tend to make a point of being irreligious – but the vacuum persists.
Just Look at the constant re-occurrence of crucifixion within the American media. This could just be another seedy celebrity marketing technique, or maybe we actually want that image in our life because it lends our schizophrenic pop-culture a bit of continuity.
Comment by thepublics January 17, 2008 @ 12:48 amVery beautiful pics
Comment by Fubiz January 18, 2008 @ 5:39 am[...] Designer Toys – The Publics [...]
Pingback by Design Digest » Yanko Design January 20, 2008 @ 8:44 amWhoa!
Comment by Supersentido January 25, 2008 @ 10:19 amWant some of these very deep comments to remember every time i fall i love with these kind of beautyfull creatures.
To design a toy has nothing in common with religion or whatever…is just a simple move looking for nice things and unanimated pets.