#skatething

[warhead]

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

¿Podemos Saber Cuándo Nace Un Art Toy? II

Descubriendo las historias, los creadores y la cultura detrás de los #ArTToys

¿Fue en 1997, cuando Skatething diseñó a Kid Hunter para Bounty Hunter? Cuando una camiseta gráfica se convirtió en vinilo—y el streetwear en mitología? Cuando los coleccionistas no vieron un juguete, sino un Movimiento disfrazado? Kid Hunter no fue lanzado. Fue desatado. Sin articulaciones. Sin adornos. Solo actitud convertida en plástico. De pronto, los juguetes dejaron de ser juguetes: eran antijuguetes. Y desde Tokio, la visión de Hikaru Iwanaga abrió una nueva escena. Quizá ahí fue donde realmente empezó la revolución.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama  

#ArtToyFiles #1000IconicArtToys

Por cierto…

❌ Si te conformas con coleccionar lo que Instagram te diga. ❌ Si crees que “edición limitada” todavía significa algo. ❌ Si te da igual la historia real detrás de los Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, pinturas y esculturas…

NO TE SUSCRIBAS A NUESTRO NEWSLETTER AQUÍ.

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com/

[manic-maniac-man]

HUgE April 2011

Black swan

Preaching Blues

Good-for-nothing man's blues

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Text by Kunichi Nomura

illustration by SkateThing

Those who grew up in the 80s will be familiar with Basquiat's paintings. His style is somewhat primitive, as if a young child with paint and brushes splattered color onto canvas or pieces of wood. These works, in which names and words dance across the canvas like codes, were imitated and consumed in all sorts of settings. When I first saw Basquiat's paintings, my reaction was similar to when I saw a Picasso painting in art class at school: "Even I could draw that." As a child, I couldn't understand why Basquiat's paintings were so highly acclaimed.

Basquiat was a superstar born out of the New York art scene of the 1980s, which was booming during the bubble economy. Born in 1960 to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother in Prussia, Basquiat spoke English, French, and Spanish from an early age, and when his son showed signs of artistic talent, his parents gave him a gifted education, taking him to art museums. After his parents divorced and his son moved to Puerto Rico, Basquiat went to high school and started a project with his friends. Using the name "SAM ○," an abbreviation of "Same Old Shit," they tagged poems and phrases as pseudo-religion on walls downtown. This activity, unlike the tagging that was rampant on subways at the time, attracted attention from those around him as it evoked poetry and philosophy. Having wanted to be famous from an early age, Basquiat decided to drop out of high school, ran away from home and was disowned by his parents. He started working as a postal worker, hanging around friends' houses in Manhattan to make money. He began making and selling cards and T-shirts. In the late '70s, No Wave and graffiti were popular in New York, and many clubs and discos were filled with creative, ephemeral energy. Basquiat played freely in the New York nightlife. He went to the Mudd Club and studios, hung out with the then unknown Madonna, and formed a band with Vincent Gallo called Grey, performing at venues such as CBGB and Max's Kansas City. It was around this time that he appeared on Glenn O'Brien's cult show TV Party and in a Blondie music video, steadily spreading his name as the face of Downtown.

For Basquiat, a major turning point in his life as an artist was his participation in the group exhibition "Times Square Show." His unique style of work was brought into the limelight, and after a review of his work was published in an art magazine, he signed a contract with gallerist Annina Nosei, held a successful solo exhibition, and rose to the top of the art world as a darling of the times. The art world, which had been suffocated by conceptual art and minimal art, enthusiastically supported Basquiat along with artists such as Julian Schnabel and David Salle, a group known as Neo-Expressionism. And as if in response, Basquiat painted nonstop. Partying day and night, endless drugs, and money was all around Basquiat. The dreadlocked Basquiat painted while dressed in expensive Armani suits. Basquiat was a star not only in New York but also in Europe.

He was successful in the art world, and soon, at the suggestion of a gallerist, he began working with Andy Warhol, who was his hero along with William S. Burroughs. This collaboration, a masterpiece, a product of commercialism for money, and controversial, attracted more than enough attention to make an impact on the world. However, Basquiat believed the rumors that Warhol was using him, and he began to distance himself from him. This was perhaps Basquiat's peak, when he appeared on the cover of The New York Times, marking the peak of his career as an artist. However, the more success he gained, the more people around him distanced himself from him, and the more drugs he took. He was an imaginary star created by gallerists, a flower in the twilight of an era dominated by commercialism. Warhol was the only friend he had who could understand him, but when Warhol died of an illness in 1980, he could no longer see anything ahead. Basquiat died of a heroin overdose in his New York studio in August 1988. He was 27 years old, an age considered a dead end for rock stars, and his life was one that would never allow him to progress beyond that age.

Basquiat's thousands of works are still printed in large quantities and scattered around the world. It is unclear whether they were real art or fabricated fiction. However, in recent years, major retrospectives have been held in Brooklyn and Paris. The real paintings on display at these major retrospectives are full of a sense of dynamism that cannot be felt in prints, with paints dancing and exploding, and long lines form every day in various places in order to see the real thing.

[tahxhaven]

A BATHING APE (NOWHERE) での経験を元に友人とアパレルブランドを立ち上げる。 雑誌 POPEYE 等の掲載や セレクトショップ min-nano、アーティスト cali thornhill dewitt 等の instagram にて紹介され、 その後ロンドンでの POP UP イベントを経てブランドを脱退。 skatething 氏の助言によりアーティストに転向。 2020年より独学で製作開始。

Based on my experience at A BATHING APE (NOWHERE), I co-founded an apparel brand with a friend. The brand was featured in magazines like POPEYE and showcased on Instagram by select shops like MIN-NANO and artists such as CALI THORNHILL DEWITT. After holding a POP-UP event in London, I eventually left the brand. Following advice from SKATETHING, I transitioned into becoming an artist. I began creating art independently in 2020, teaching myself along the way.

[newsssc]

Naia Laso's skate, Olympic finalist under the Obelisk | Paris 2024 Olympic Games

In the Place de la Concorde, in the heart of Paris, there is a theme park for urban sports. The imposing Obelisk is a beacon of history and tradition around which the revolution is growing. Various open-air venues host 3×3 basketball, cycling and other sports. freestylehe breaking and the skatethe four horsemen of street exercise. Among the sun-baked crowd appears a smiling 15-year-old girl, with…

[wintercorrybriea2]

Skatething x TET for Bathing Ape and WTaps collab

[mamaritamiya]

The Masks

Happy new year 2021!

I just got a new mask made by SkateThing😷

U can’t misread the word, it’s “NETFELIX” lol

[jamfromwkym]

“ʙᴏᴀʀᴅ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss” #boardgame #skateboard #skatething #skateboarding #skateshop #supreme #stussy #huf #bakerskateboards #nikesb #jasondill #evisenskateboards #fukingawesome #adidasskateboarding #powellperalta #markgonzales #futura2000 #stash #kaws #kostasseremetis #ericelms #offwhite #virgilabloh #iphonephotograpy #hypebeast #highsnobiety #sixteenshibuya #shibtya #sidelinetokyo #jamfromwkym (16 Sixteen) https://www.instagram.com/p/B24DquDhCFU/?igshid=rjgmuickxyug

[downthetubes]

Art inspired by 2000AD hits London next week, in PRO-GRESS, at the Dinner Part Gallery

Art inspired by 2000AD hits London next week, in PRO-GRESS, at the Dinner Part Gallery

From abstractions of the work of Kevin O’Neill to a vision of life on The Hoop from Halo Jones, an exhibition of art inspired by 2000AD, the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, is due to open in London next week. Work by leading graphic artists inspired by 2000AD’s legendary creators will feature in PROG-RESS, presented by 2000AD and Carhartt WIP, on show at the Dinner Party Gallery in on Clerkenwell…

[hustlinclothing]

Hustlin Skateboards order yours today DM us for ordering information or email us at Hustlinskateboards@gmail.com. #hustlinskateboards #hustlinclothing #justdontdie #skatedonthate #skateboards #skatetheworld #losangeles #savage #madeintheusa #americanmade #madeinamerica #usamade #skateordie #savage #skatething #skateclips #dailyskate #skateboard #hustlinskateboards #hustlinskateboardsco #hustlinclothing #justdontdie #skateordie #savage #hustlinskateboards #hustlinskateboardsco #hustlinskateboardsindustries #hustlinskateboardsclothing https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-m5ONPvCz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #72: Pop Mart vs. Michael Lau

Realities Behind the Act of Collecting #ArTToys 9

You’re not mad at Pop Mart. 

Let’s get one thing straight: Art Toys were never born in the shadows. They were just too real for the mainstream to handle. And now that the mainstream has caught up—you’re pissed.

You say Pop Mart ruined the Art Toy Movement. That blind boxes are a corporate trick. That designer toys used to be “authentic”—until a company like this appeared.

But let’s stop the nostalgia-fueled fairytale and go back to facts.

Pop Mart didn’t kill the Art Toy Movement. It just made them perhaps more Pop

Remember when we all felt special for discovering a limited Art Toy…

For knowing the name of the artist, his/her story, his/her career… For showing off “our” 1/200 resin drop like it was a Rothko…

Then came Pop Mart. Massive. Plastic. Pink. And suddenly, your underground became... mainstream.

The same shelf that once held your urban vinyl grails now holds a Molly with a bubblegum tiara. Cue the existential panic.

In 1999, Michael Lau launched The Gardeners in Hong Kong. Yes, the first pieces were sculpted by hand. But by the time he made waves, he was already producing limited vinyl runs—professionally fabricated, not DIY. That didn’t strip them of soul. It gave them scale. It gave them impact. He embraced the system and still punched it in the face.

In 1997, Kid Hunter was born at Bounty Hunter. Skatething and Hikaru Iwanaga weren’t working from a garage with a glue gun. They designed a figure. A graphic tee became vinyl. They produced it, and sold it as a collectible statement. Maybe that’s where the revolution really began. It was punk, yes. But it wasn’t artisanal.

Even Martin, from James Jarvis (1998), wasn’t some indie basement project. It was produced by Bounty Hunter for Silas & Maria— merging Japanese streetwear and British design into a vinyl sculpture with a message. Artistic and commercial—like most great Movements are. Corporate enough for a fashion drop. Artistic enough to hang in a gallery.

So no—Pop Mart didn’t “corrupt” the Movement. You just forgot the movement was never about purity. It was about voice.

💥 So why the hate?

Because now everyone has access? Because what used to make you feel special now makes you feel replaceable? Because Pop Mart, born in 2010 (and brands like TopToy, in 2020), democratized the vinyl altar— and you’re no longer the only worshipper?

Maybe the problem isn’t Pop Mart. Maybe the problem is you— clinging to a romantic myth where “authenticity” is whatever you bought before everyone else did.

You’re not mourning Art Toys. You’re mourning your exclusivity. (And maybe we all are, a little.)

But wake up. That gatekeeping attitude? It’s expired. You’re not a curator—you’re a collector. And real collectors aren’t afraid of expansion. They’re afraid of emptiness.

Here’s the twist: Pop Mart didn’t ruin Art Toys. It exposed who never understood them.

Because massive doesn’t mean meaningless. And limited doesn’t mean legitimate.

Pop Mart democratized dopamine. Turned every checkout counter into a miniature museum. You think that’s vulgar? Murakami did it first. In vending machines. With gum.

💣 Let’s talk business.

Pop Mart’s success didn’t come from randomness. It came from IP vision (the company took off in 2016 after it began working with artists to develop its own IPs), artist empowerment, and a retail model smarter than a Sotheby’s catalogue.

Like Apple, it built an ecosystem. Like LEGO, it turned play into identity. Like Nike, it sold attitude in every box.

They didn’t invent Blind Boxes. But they mastered the format. They didn’t discover Molly (Kenny Wong created her in 2005). But they amplified her. Because Molly wasn’t mass-commercialized until she met Pop Mart.

Pop Mart didn’t invent the assembly line. Neither did Toy2R, Kidrobot, or Medicom Toy. They just made it more visible. And that makes some collectors uncomfortable.

The problem isn’t vinyl. The problem is that what used to be a ritual for the few is now a conversation for the many. And that conversation threatens the old guardians of the hype.

🎯 So, what’s an Art Toy then?

Not a toy. Not a sculpture. Not a product.

It’s a manifesto. A silent scream. A new artistic vision. It’s how Netflix reshapes entertainment around your world. It’s how Coca-Cola awakens memories with a single bubble. It's like Spotify puts a soundtrack to your emotions.

It wasn’t made for everyone. It was made for you. For your curiosity. For your rebellion.

Every Art Toy is a mirror. It reflects your dreams. It justifies your failures. It soothes your fears. It confirms your suspicions. It bonds you with other misfits. It arms you against monotony. It invites you to throw stones at the walls of routine.

An Art Toy doesn’t take up space. It makes space—in your mind. And once it’s there, it never leaves. Ever.

An Art Toy is a collision. A contradiction in vinyl, resin, wood—whatever. A cultural meme you can touch.

Whether it’s hand-poured resin or a mass-produced figure— if it makes you feel, it’s valid.

The real test isn’t scarcity. It’s message.

🔥 Final jab (and you better feel it):

If you’re still clinging to the belief that only handmade toys are Art Toys, you’re confusing process with purpose.

That’s like saying Warhol’s Brillo boxes weren’t Art

Because here’s the truth:

You don’t collect toys. You collect proof of what moves you.

And that—dear reader— is what separates you from a shopper.

And this is what unites us with you.

In this we are alike.

At Art Toy Gama Collective,

we're not hoarding collectibles.

We're healing moments.

We don’t sell volume—we sell vision and voice. Art Toys that punches memory. Paintings and drawings that ruin your aesthetic-but rewrite your walls Fine Art Prints that piss off the algorithm…. All telling one story: yours.

Join: First and ONLY F.A.N.S. #ArTToy #Newsletter in the World #ArtToyGamaNewsLetter #ArtToyNewsletter https://emails.arttoygama.com/l/email-subscription

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#WhoMakesArtToys #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

Art by Judas Arrieta

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[robbialy]

From • @unkle98 Psyence Fiction was released in Japan August 21 1998 This cover was designed by Sk8thing and Nigo and is exclusive to Japan. The artwork is based on the regular edition which features artwork by Futura 2000. #sk8thing #skatething #nigo #psyencefiction #mowaxjapan #mowaxrecords #mowax #futura2000 #unkle #unkle77 https://www.instagram.com/p/CEJGPRqJHVYVTrlKa_BiKd7-NFzJ5gVpKMzthU0/?igshid=u5z09219gatn

[props-store-tokyo]

⚠️7/29 (土) 12:00オープン⚠️ 正しい @propsstore_annex への原宿駅からの行き方です。 1. 原宿駅下車、竹下通りを突破 2.ムラスポ側に信号渡って明治通りを新宿方面へ(左折) 3.原宿警察を過ぎて向かいにディーゼル見えたら右へ(キラー通り 4.左手に見えるサンクスとクロムハーツの間の道に入る(左折) 5.郵便局を右手に見ながらまっすぐ 6.児童公園の奥側を左折 (可愛いUFOいたら正解す) 7.そのまま100m弱まっすぐ 8.左手にある赤タイルのビルで到着です。 Props Store Annex 東京都渋谷区神宮前2-30-5 トーカン原宿キャステール 0002 #PropsStoreAnnex #SkatethingxAevil #Skatething #AevilLabels (Props Store Annex/プロップスストアアネックス)

[stevviefox]

Shit happens.

[generalg]

La la la

La la laaaaaaaa

La la laaaaaa

[mirandacaroll]

city council has called for an immediate ban on boats going through the canals so that they might actually freeze over this week, I REPEAT: CITY COUNCIL HAS CALLED FOR A BAN ON BOATS GOING THROUGH THE CANAL SO THAT THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY FREEZE OVER THIS WEEK