Project: Outcomes

I have been asked various questions in regards to my project outcomes, so I thought I would compile the frequently asked questions:

What are the specified project outcomes?

To keep an updated blog with my progress, produce new work and have an exhibition upon my return to Adelaide.

What do you hope to achieve from your time in Japan?

I just hope to meet new people, improve my skills and focus on producing new works.

How many ‘new works’ will you create?

At minimum, I will produce 1 new sculpt completed and ready for production. Ideally, I would like to have a series ready for production.

Would the new work include Waniphant?

I would like to work on a new Waniphant sculpt but my main goal is to create new concepts while in Japan. I wouldn’t be too surprised if he does pop up though.

Will you participate in any Japanese events?

While in Japan, there will be two main toy events, ‘Super Festival’ and ‘Wonder Festival’. I currently don’t have any organised plans but I would like to have a display at these events.

When you come back to Australia, what will you do?

Beyond the exhibition, I currently don’t have any set plans; you'll have to wait and see.

What is the best part about being awarded the grant?

It solidifies what I do as ‘real’.

Quick Slice: Mr. Ton

Thumbnail sketch no larger than 25mm, now known as Mr.Ton.

Last night I was playing around in my sketch book and came up with a little character. It is rare that I jump up and develop a character further instantly, normally I leave it, let it simmer and come back with a fresh view. I guess the sketch really spoke to me as I was keen to work on him right away!

Wanting to keep all the line work logical, I jumped into SolidWorks to CAD him up. Originally I was intending to create just the 2D linework for Illustrator but I thought I would have a bit of fun with extruding the body. That is when he truly came to life.

There are some little tweaks I would like to do before finalising but I hope to get a 3D print or lasercut version made soon. As I am leaving in 3 weeks, I may have to leave the development till I come back from Japan.

His name is Skele but it's Mr. Ton to you! 

Update: Unboxed exhibition

Continuing on from my WIP post, I have taken some images to fully reveal of my custom Munny for the Unboxed exhibition. Friday afternoon I went back to Espionage Gallery to take some images and a video to show you all online. The video doesn't do the show justice, if you are in Adelaide, go check it out.

 

 Dinosaur Man

'Dinosaur man' is the local dinosaur toy store owner, every weekend you can see him in his character dinosaur outfit greeting customers that come to his store.

 

Above is the main materials I currently use. What isn't in the photo is all the sandpaper and utensils I use. Lots of sanding and hacking in every stage of my builds. I am no expert and I am continuously learning but the best advice I can give is to experiment and find what best works for you.

Sorry for the wobbly camera, this is recorded from my iPhone. I am currently looking into a good camera to buy while in Japan so I can take good photos and videos.

Project: Artistic Statement

Every Saturday I will be posting a blog post related to the ‘Sofubi mentorship’ project. I don’t know what to call them! Something catchy will come to mind but if you have an idea, please post it in the comments section.

Part of the grant application, I had to submit an artistic statement. As I studied design, I have never thought of myself as an artist. Yet, through development of my proposal, I have realised that I am an ‘artist through design’; my vision is art, my process is design.

 
Snippet of my artistic statement:
As an artist and designer, the past, present and future play a role in my work. My work pays homage to my inspirations whilst blending my vision of the future.

My background is Industrial Design and I use my knowledge of materials and processes to extend my artistic possibilities. To me, design is objective art. Although aesthetics is vital, the work must follow a need or purpose. Art toys can blur these restrictions. Design thinking and processes are involved but there is no purpose or need, resulting in completely subjective work. Art toys appeal to me because they continuously push these boundaries.

I am drawn to Japanese toy design as it’s not about the finalised character; it has a much wider background that encompasses Japanese techniques, craftsmanship and styles. Where quality of the sculpting, surface finish and colour variations are a significant part of the art form.

/end

People often ask me what I am influenced by, I have trouble answering this question. I rather be influenced by anything and everything and not lock myself in. If I had to say when it all started, my main inspiration would be Tokusatsu; Japanese science fiction, fantasy or horror.

I was first introduced to Japanese culture through Kaiju films when I was 12, I used to think “why would anyone create something so outlandish?” The fact that it existed, and someone had thought it up intrigued me and pulled me in deep.    

A year later, I came across Japanese animation and was taken in by the quality of the animation and vivid stories. It opened a gateway to another viewpoint and my interest for Japan increased. Being inspired by these works, I wanted to dig deeper and find out what they were inspired by: Japanese horror stories, samurai, Shintoism, Buddhism, yokai, kaiju, politics, love, passion. As a young teenager, the mix of Japanese pop culture and tradition had a very strong impact on my outlook on life.

Many years later, I would discover kaiju again through toys. Once again, I was thinking “why would someone make this”, everything came full circle in many ways.

Before I get into a long yarn, I will leave my story there for tonight. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Quick Slice: What is Sofubi?

What is Sofubi?

Sofubi is 'wasei-eigo' for 'soft vinyl'
Soft Vinyl --> Softu Binyl --> Sofubi 

 Jargon usage:
Soft vinyl is a form plastic called PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) but what mainly separates sofubi from other vinyl art toys on the market is the production methods of Japan. In ways, the popularity of sofubi has less to do with the design and more to do with the soft vinyl workshops. Even though the design needs to adhere to Japanese slush moulding techniques, 'sofubi' is not a genre or style.

I will leave this quick slice at that and tell you more about the sofubi workshops another time. If you are keen to dive in now, I would highly recommend checking out Toy Karma and Kaiju Korner!

Quick Slice: Dinosaur Man

Last night was the opening for the Unboxed, A Custom Vinyl Toy Exhibition held at Espionage Gallery locally in Adelaide. It was fantastic to catch up with friends and meet new ones. I had a great time chatting to people about art toys!

I was intending to take many photos and have a quick film for a blog post but the gallery was too busy all night, which was fantastic. I will be heading in later today to capture a video and take some photos of my piece from the show. For now, in 'quick slice' fashion, I will post one instagram picture I took on the night.

The instagram filters wash out the colours.

New blog feature: Quick Slice

One of the main reasons why my blog stayed dormant for many months was due to the fact I always felt the need to write long articles per post. I was still active on twitter, facebook and instagram but time went on by and I never came back to post on my blog. Part of my new push to have a stronger online presence, I want to keep a record of my journey in a single place; which will be my blog.

From now on, I will post small to medium articles that may even just include a single image, I will dub these posts 'quick slice'. I won't be flooding the blog with 'quick slice' posts, maximum one per day.

~Take a slice