People still debate the definition of an art toy. Is it art? or is it a toy? After researching the meaning of ‘art toys’, it seems that no one can tell the difference between ‘toy’ and ‘art toy’.
I started to search for the definition of each word, starting with…
- Art toy
- Art toy = Designer toy
- Art toy is a genre of collectable figures that blend elements of art, design, and pop culture.
- Art toy has unique aesthetics, creative designs, and a conceptual or theme element.
- Pop culture influence – including characters from comics, movies, and music, is reimagined through the artist’s unique perspective.
- Toy
- A toy is an object for a child to play with, providing entertainment, fun and engagement.
- The toy has a story behind it (from cartoons, movies, comics, etc.)
From my understanding, I would say that an art toy is art because it has all the elements of art and design.
Let’s talk about the history of art toys. I will call this ‘Art Toys Story’. To make it easier to read, I have created an infographic about the history of art toys.
I will be giving a Dragons Den presentation next week, so I have prepared a list of information that I will present to external experts.
- Background Research
- Personal relationship between this topic and myself
- Goal: The change I want to see.
- Plan: The intervention
There is still some information that I think is too broad and hard to decide on, like why people need to value art, what is art, and what is the value of art.
I have researched the value of art. Here are the reasons why we value art.
- Art is a powerful form of communication that can’t be expressed by words alone.
- Art bridges gaps between culture and community.
- Emotional impact
Following from above, not only elements of art and design that make art toy is art, but also the reason that we need to value art is making art toy is art too.
I have many ideas for the intervention, but I will show the one that I think is possible, which I call the ‘Emotional wall’.
The plan of this intervention is to ask people to share and write down their personal connections to their favourite art toys and put them on the wall. I will ask the question, ‘How do art toys inspire you?’. I aim to gather insights into the emotional connections people have with art toys and understand why they value these items. I plan to ask the POP MART store in London to collaborate with this intervention so they will have activities for their consumers, and I will have a place to do the intervention.
Secondary Research
I researched more about art toys, and some information on the Internet looked the same, so I started to find books about art toys, which I hoped would have interesting information that I may not find on the Internet.
- Figure it Out!: Designer Toys and Their Makers by Victionary.
This book focuses on designer toys, which is related to my project. It provides a deeper understanding of the creative and aesthetic aspects of art toys, which is directly related to my research question. It also showcases a range of designers and artists who create art toys and provides many examples of art toys.
After I read this book, I gained a new perspective on the artistic possibilities of art toys. It made me realize that these objects are not just about play or nostalgia; they can be powerful mediums for artistic expression.
- Vinyl Will Kill: An Inside Look at the Designer Toy Phenomenon
This book is also directly related to my project. It provides insights into the culture and community around designer toys, including interviews with artists, collectors, and industry insiders. This helps me understand why people make and collect art toys. Even though the book was published about 20 years ago, it shows the early days of this new art form in modern art, which helps me understand its development and impact.
References:
Jeremyville (2004) Vinyl will kill: An inside look at the designer toy phenomenon. Hong Kong: Systems Design.
Victionary (2019) Figure it out!: Designer Toys & Their Makers. North Point, Hong Kong: Viction:ary.