Geneviève Gauckler - Pictoplasmic Festival 2011

The organizers of Berlin-based Pictoplasma, a boutique festival and conference for graphic designers and illustrators, are arranging Character Walk, a fun walk-through New York with stopovers at galleries and concept stores, showcasing installations and exhibitions by participating artists throughout the city.

The exhibitions will highlight the hairy, furry, smooth, and ectoplasmic, a colorful array of monsters and ‘characters,’ which have developed ecstatic fan-bases amongst kids and adults alike.

BeatBots - Pictoplasmic Festival 2011

Jeremyville - Pictoplasmic Festival 2011

The Character Walk takes place November 3rd – 6th, a weekend that will also herald the beginning of Performa, with events around the city making it a perfect time for gallery hopping. Some of the art will be screened or can be viewed at partnering art spaces such as Jonathan LeVine Gallery, TTUnterground, Lit Lounge, Cappellini NYC, Gallery Hanahou, White Rabbit Bar, Big Screen Plaza, Cotton Candy Machine

Among the artists present will be doodlers, designers and animators such as the pop surrealist Tim Biskup, Jeremyville from Australia, monster-mash-up specialist Joshua Ben Longo, Geneviève Gauckler and the creators of the social robot and pop-icon ‘Keepon’ BeatBots.

Raymond Lemstra - Pictoplasmic Festival 2011

AJ Fosik - Pictoplasmic Festival 2011

PicTarot Faltschachtel Kopie - Pictoplasmic Festival 2011

The speakers at this year’s conference are listed at: http://nyc.pictoplasma.com/exhibitions

For more info and tickets: http://nyc.pictoplasma.com/speakers
Conference: November 4+5 Hosted by Parsons The New School for Design – Tishman Auditorium, 66 W 12 St, 10011 New York

Whether you’re aware of it or not, the vinyl toy movement has been raging on in America since the early 90s. Daniel Zana, a first-time documentary filmmaker, wraps all the various eccentric elements into one and is going to bring it into a full-on assault of your senses in The Vinyl Frontier, the first documentary to take a “comprehensive look at the vinyl toy scene,” including the complex world of vinyl toys and the throngs of fans that love them.

Shot over the course of three-and-a-half years, Zana has conducted on-camera interviews with designers explaining what goes into the toys for collectors who are dying to know, as well as interviewing collectors on what the obsession is. Designers can see, once and for all, the affect their toys have on people’s lives.

Brilliantly shot on location in studios, homes, convention centers, and offices around the country, The Vinyl Frontier is sure to be a favorite in this year’s festival season. Featuring such heavy hitters as Tristan Eaton, Ron English, Gary Baseman, Dalek, Frank Kozik, Tim Biskup, and many more.

SPREAD ArtCulture had time to sit down with Daniel and ask him a few questions.

SPREAD ArtCulture: What do you hope to accomplish with this film? What do you see it doing for the vinyl toy movement?

Daniel Zana: I hope the film will get the idea of vinyl toys out and to the mainstream so they can see it’s its own subculture. I’d also like to establish myself as a filmmaker and I hope it to be a primer on the vinyl toy movement, so if someone is new to it and they want to know more, they’ll check out the film. I hope it serves as an entry point for someone who wants to know more about the vinyl toy movement.

SAC: What interests you about vinyl toys?

DZ: The fact that they’re limited-run and done by artists, as opposed to gigantic, faceless companies, is very interesting to me. The fact that the designs are so fresh and contemporary is also very interesting, and the collectability. Also, the DIY aspect—having people buy a toy and being able to customize it and sculpt it and add to it is incredibly interesting.

SAC: Tell us about the documentary process.

DZ: In terms of my process, I started three years ago and decided to take it upon myself to work on the project and stumbled upon toys and started filming. Contacting artists, writing them and seeing if they would be open to the idea. At the time, there was no other documentary that covered the subject and I wanted to be the first and started interviewing people and compiled thirty interviews, went to comic cons in San Diego and LA, went to studios of artists and got to know them and be involved in the scene. Now I have a finished film that’s ready for festivals.

SAC:Talk about the digital distribution you’re interested in pursuing.

DZ: I’d like to explore sharing this video with the people who’d like to see it. Getting it out to the right people. Perhaps Hulu.

SAC: What is the next step for the vinyl toy movement?

DZ: It’s hard for me to say, but as far as what I can see, it’s going a bit more mainstream and corporate, but I hope for it to maintain its integrity. I see toys by Taco Bell and toys by all these other companies that are sponsoring toy releases, which is all fine and good, as long as it maintains that sort of fresh and unique feel that you get by buying vinyl toys.

The Vinyl Frontier: A Documentary Film Exploring the World of Vinyl Toys