Tag Archives: toys

Pictoplasma NYC on November 13th at Parsons

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Parsons The New School for Design will present Pictoplasma NYC, a conference celebrating the artistic creation of character design, on Saturday, November 13 from 3-10 p.m.. Featuring lectures, panel discussions, and short film screenings, the event is part of Illustration Week, an annual programming series across New York City that showcases the best in international character design and art.  The conference will be held at Tishman Auditorium, The New School, 66 West 12th Street, New York. Admission is free, but registration is requested via email to pictoplasmaparsons@gmail.com. Pictoplasma NYC is supported by folioplanet.com.

The conference was organized by Pictoplasma founders and curators Lars Denicke and Peter Thaler, and Steven Guarnaccia, chair of Illustration at Parsons. Among the featured participants is Ice Age character designer Peter de Seve, a well-known illustrator, New Yorker cover artist, and Parsons alumnus, who will discuss the process of creating iconic characters. In addition, Guarnaccia will moderate a panel discussion on how creative skills developed in art school can translate into work-life projects and careers, featuring a range of Parsons alumni: animation director Aaron Stewart, artist Motomichi Nakamura, and ornamental painter Andy Kehoe.

Also presenting are two members of the Australian design collective Rinzen, known for its video and audio remix project, RMX. New York-based designer Craig Redman has a creative output filled with twisted optimism and simple messages executed in a colorful, bold style. His character Darcel has become a fashion icon and is often featured at famed Parisian boutique Colette, where he recently had a solo exhibition. Berlin-based designer Rilla Alexander is inspired by vintage children books and mythical stories to create characters with complex identities through a blending of illustration, graphics and 3D design. Her RMX project, Neighbourhood, involved 20 blank plush dolls that were passed around the world being reworked and remade.

Illustrator Nathan Jurevicius will discuss his most acclaimed project to date, Scarygirl. Since her creation in 2001, Scarygirl has developed a following of fans throughout the world and has been the subject of a game, graphic novel, numerous limited edition vinyl toys and travelling shows, and a forthcoming feature film.

The program will conclude with a screening of Characters in Motion 2010, a 75-minute collection of animated short films, music videos and motion graphics. Each film was selected for its innovative and style-setting character design and the intriguing way these protagonists involve the viewer in surreal settings.

Pictoplasma is acclaimed for its unique focus on contemporary character design and art. Timeless publications showcase the work of a global scene of illustrators, graphic designers and animation filmmakers. The annual conference in Berlin is the meeting point for an international audience. The inimitable mix of selected animation programs, the lively exchange between the various disciplines and face-to-face artist lectures, allowing a personal glimpse into the character centered universe of the protagonists, have proven highly inspiring and highlight the importance of characters in contemporary visual culture. Whether illustration, animation, graphic design, street or fine art – the emphasis is not on the limits of style or format, but on the shared dedication to explore character-driven aesthetics. After its US premiere in 2008, the event is now returning to New York for the second Pictoplasma NYC edition. For more information, please visit www.pictoplasma.com.

In the BFA Illustration Program at Parsons The New School for Design, one of the most prestigious and comprehensive schools of art and design in the world, students are poised to become influential, pictorial communicators. Through studio and digital course work, the program builds proficiency in drawing and media-based skills; creativity in concepts and problem solving; awareness of art and design and current social and cultural concerns; and fluency in technological tools and software. For more information, please visit http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/bfa-illustration/.

Pictoplasma NYC 2010
November 13, 2010
3-10 p.m.
Tishman Auditorium
66 W. 12th

Free and open to the public, but please RSVP to: pictoplasmaparsons@gmail.com.

 

David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim at GR2 in Los Angeles!

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David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim at GR2
September 11 – September 29, 2010
Reception: Saturday, September 11, 6:30 – 10:00

Giant Robot is proud to host Photos from the Uglyverse, an art show featuring work by Uglydolls creators (and Parsons Illustration Alumni) David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim.

In 2001, Sun-Min turned a drawing on the bottom of letters from David into a hand-sewn doll. It was Wage, the first Uglydoll ever. After David brought the piece to the newly opened Giant Robot store, it evolved into a toy with a rabid following–selling out at shops around the world, appearing in movies, creating spin-offs, spawning bootlegs, and inspiring a new wave of stuffed plushes.

Photos from the Uglyverse will include a collection of super-limited edition of prints taken from Horvath and Kim’s current projects with Abrams Books and beyond. Horvath adds, “Can’t find GR2? Just look for the giant jumping Uglydoll outside!”

GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
gr2.net
(310) 445-9276

Follow-up: More pictures from Pictopia and Pictoplasma!

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Editor’s Note: Please enjoy this selection of photos taken by friend of the department, Lasse Krug.  They were taken at the “Ugly is Beautiful” exhibition at the Pictopia Festival in Berlin this past March.  Thanks, Lasse!

Ugly Dolls written up in the New York Times

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ugly dolls for boys?

Parsons Alums David Horvath & Sun-Min Kim are in the news with their creation–Ugly Dolls. Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times article:

The Uglies are neither superheros nor stuffed animals. They’re not as saccharine as Beanie Babies or Cabbage Patch kids. They’re a bit like characters from Sesame Street (Cookie Monster comes to mind) and a bit like E.T., except without pasty skin or the spring-loaded neck.

David Horvath, who created them with Sun-Min Kim — then his girlfriend, now his wife — says they were inspired by the bootleg videos they both grew up watching: Japanese robots and shows like “Battle Fever J,” which begat the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

The inspiration for Uglies, he joked, was Ultraman and Gamera.

That’s hard to buy, since they are the antithesis of huggable: Ultraman is Japan’s metal-skulled Ironman, vanquishing monsters with karate kicks and electric bolts that slice heads off. Gamera is a giant flying turtle whose leg holes shoot flames.

Check out the rest of the article here and see more of David and Sun-Min’s Ugly Dolls at their website.