web tracker
the art collectors » Product

Archive for the 'Product' Category

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

KAWS x Sorayama Figure

kaws-sorayama-companion

We just caught wind of this upcoming figure collaboration between KAWS and Hajimie Sorayama. Based off the signature on the sketch, its clear this conceptual design was illustrated by Sorayama, however KAWS hinted to the project on his Dec. 2 blog post, noting the two had started working on the project a few years ago. The sculpture will be cast in metal and is a hybrid of the KAWS Companion with Sorayama’s Future Mickey Mouse (pictured below), which was also released by Medicom Toys. We can only guess this guy will be called Future Companion, continuing the ongoing progression of the character that KAWS has already developed, from the Original, through the Five Year Later versions. No news yet on a release date, but price is rumored to be around $1,100.

Sorayama's Future Mickey

Thanks goes out to TCLY for the tip off.

 

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Handbags and Lawsuits – More from Murakami + Louis Vuitton

murakami-vuitton-store
Images: Jessica Michibata at Honeyee

UPDATE: 1/2 Murakami Vuitton Lawsuit Dismissed 
A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge has thrown out one of Clint Arthur’s two opportunistic claims against Louis Vuitton and Los Angeles MOCA. The dismissed class action suit concerned lithographic prints by Takashi Murakami, bought at the the museum’s store during the exhibit ©Murakami. Arthur alleged violation of California’s Fine Prints Act, which requires dealers to certify authenticity and provide information concerning how works are produced and how rare they are.  Judge William Highberger said Arthur had no standing to sue the museum because he didn’t accept MOCA’s offer to refund the $2,655 he paid for three prints.

The second federal lawsuit is still pending, and concerns “print editions made from the same material as Murakami’s handbag and accessory collection for Louis Vuitton, sold at the their special pop-up shop set up in MOCA. Arthur says that Louis Vuitton committed fraud by passing off left over production material as fine art editions. 

Read more in the LA Times

Original Post:
To coincide with Takashi Murakami’s new Multicolore Spring Pallette Collection for Louis Vuitton, the luxury brand has rebranded its flagship Tokyo store with the artist’s designs.  Murakami’s Kaiai Kiki studio has also created a new animated short, entitled Superflat First Love (a sequel to the previously released Superflat Mongram, which can be seen in its entirety here), now available for download  on Louis Vuitton’s Japanese mobile phone site.

It is doubtful the new looks will make their way onto any fine art editions edition, as they did during Murakami’s 2008 retrospective at the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art. A lawsuit against Louis Vuitton claims the company committed fraud by violating California’s Fine Prints Act when it sold signed “prints” made from leftover handbag and accessory material during Murakami’s museum retrospective at LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

murakami-vuitton-store
Tetsuya Suzuki at Honeyee

On a personal note, we here at TAC, along with several collector friends, remember quickly disregarding these shlock pieces at the museum. Some of us instead opted for the numerous lithographs on sale – which, coincidentally have been selling at auction ever since.  Long story short, anyone spending money on art, no matter how cheap or expensive, should do their due diligence and know what they are buying. An artist or dealer can pass off anything they want as art – that’s the nature of contemporary art. It’s not their fault when someone chooses to buy a piece of crap and speculates its future value. The LA Times has the full story here and here.

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Advertising, Asia, Product, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

 

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Tanaami + Fowler SFA Collaboration

tanaami-fowler-super-furry-animals-2

Japanese pop icon Keiichi Tanaami and UK artist Pete Fowler (known for his Monsterism creations) have produced a series of exciting collaborative images. Sorry collectors – there are no originals to be had here. Rather, the art was commissioned by  pyschedelic Welsh rockers, Super Furry Animals, for their latest album, Dark Days/Light Years, released stateside by Warner Bros. this past week.  While the album marks the first time the two have worked together, DD/LY does not represent the first time SFA have worked with either of these notable artists. Fowler lent his designs to six of the band’s previous LPs, and Tannami’s art has graced the cover of their last two albums. 

Click images for larger views or download the entire Dark Days/Light Years album art for free here

fowler-tanami-super-furry-animals

tanaami-fowler-super-fury-animals-1

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Advertising, Artist Talk, Design, Music, Product | 2 Comments »

 

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Camille Rose Garcia Doll Release

camille-rose-garcia-doll

Camille Rose Garcia has just released two new plush dolls, each limited to an edition of 125. The dolls were produced by Garcia’s own PITCO toy company, and first appeared as part of her installation with Jonathan LeVine Gallery at the SCOPE Art Fair last month. Peppermint Man (above) is priced at $450 and Seymoor Squidly (below) is $600, both available here, via Jonathan LeVine. Read on for more images. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Editions, Product | Comment now »

 

Friday, April 10th, 2009

Andrew Jeffrey Wright Ripped Off

andrew-jeffrey-wright-delias-ripoff-1

Our friends over at Paul Bright Gallery just clued us in to this blatant rip-off of Andrew Jeffrey Wright’s x-wave paintings. It looks as if deLiA’s has stolen Wright’s design and applied it to this cheap dress. This is not the first time hipster clothing retailers have taken his work. Apparently a similar situation arose with Urban Outfitters a few years back. Let’s all take a moment to express our disgust – call deLiA’s here: (888) 533-5427 or email them at: help@deliasmerch.com

For those interested in the real thing, Andrew is currently exhibiting alongside Barry McGee and Clare Rojas at New Image Art. and will be showing with Paul Bright this June.

andrew-jeffrey-wright-delias-2

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Artist Talk, Product, Uncategorized | Comment now »

 

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Josh Keyes / Hunters, Run! Green Vinyl Edition

josh-keyes-hunters-run

AT ARMS LTD. will be releasing the second pressing of the Hunters, Run! EP1 7-inch record on their website, sometime before midnight tonight, EST. The edition features cover and insert art by Josh Keyes and is limited to 100 copies on green vinyl. This is the final press and there will be no future editions of this record.

The company states they will only be offering a very small number of the edition online, as the band will be selling the record in the coming week during their Midwest tour and some copies have already gone during a pre-sale to mailing list members who missed out on the first edition.

In related news, preparation is underway for the second record in the Hunters, Run’s! artist collaboration series. The next 7-inch will feature art by Eric Beltz, who recently won the 2009 PULSE Prize at Pulse Art Fair NY and will be exhibiting with Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Berlin later this year.

Buy the record here, and check Hunters, Run! tour dates here.

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Editions, Fairs, Music, Product | 1 Comment »

 

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Impostor Dissected Bearbricks

kaws-fake-bearbricks
Not Quite…

A new image depicting three colorways of KAWS’ upcoming Dissected Be@rbrick has surfaced on several sites. After minimal scrutiny we believe the three figures picured are not official products, but rather digitally altered hybrids of a Bearbrick (from the look of the grain and shape, a wood one) and original Dissected Companion figure. The actual toy being released (pictured below) is comprised of a standard Bearbrick body and head, as depicted on the OriginalFake website, and will go on sale (only one color for now) in three sizes (1000%, 400%, 100%) at the store on Feb. 28.

kaws-dissected-bearbrick
The Real Thing. Image via OriginalFake

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Editions, Product, Uncategorized | Comment now »

 

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Iconoclast LA Pop-Up Shop

iconoclast_la_store

Iconoclast Editions has just opened the doors to a pop-up shop in Los Angeles, open through April 11th. The temporary store features prints, books, and other editions by a wide list of artists including Barry McGee, Ryan McGinley, Chris Johanson, Raymond Pettibon, Todd James, Os Gemeos, Thomas Campell, Steve Powers, Shepard Fairey, Evan Hecox, Ari Marcopoulos, Geoff McFetridge, Mike Mills, Ed Templeton, Clare Rojas and many many more.

It seems Iconoclast is branching out from its most notable previous association with Beautiful Losers, and establishing an identity unto themselves with the recent release of several new editions by a wider group of artists, including David Ellis, Neil Farber and Jimmy Baker.

The Iconoclast Pop Up Shop is located at 451 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. The store can be reached till April 11th at (323) 658-8522 or via email at information@iconoclastusa.com 

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in Design, Editions, Product, Publications | 1 Comment »

 

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

On Sale Today :: Mark Ryden’s Fur Girl

At 8pm PST today, Porterhouse Fine Art Editions will release this new edition from Mark Ryden. Entitled Fur Girl, the lithograph poster depicts one of the new paintings appearing in Ryden’s upcoming solo exhibit, The Snow Yak Show, which opens Saturday, February 7, 2009, at Tomio Koyama Gallery in Tokyo, Japan.

The  signed/numbered edition of 500 measures 33″ x 23 1/8″, is embossed with a Porterhouse seal, and includes a certificate of authenticity.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by ATARMS | Filed in New York City, Product, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

 

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

David Choe Signing at GRNY

David Choe will be on hand signing his new Choegal figure, this Saturday, Jan. 3, at Giant Robot NY. Limited to 1000 pieces, the wooden Choegal is hand painted (in a factory – not by Choe) and features a head with three rotating facial expressions that reminds us of this childhood favorite