With two vinyl art toys due for imminent release, the artist behind France-based Emergency Toys is focusing his attention on readying his ‘Monster City’ toy box figure for production as a series of low-run vinyl editions. The concept flows out of his passion for 15th century jewelry and decorative pieces including ornate two-piece boxes. Emergency Toys’ ‘Toy Box’ pieces are a blend of the old and the new, blending the traditional decorative box aesthetic with the modern art toy style both in terms of subjects and the use of the vinyl medium.
At 15.75″, the two-piece Monster City showcases this innovative approach. The top pieces features a modern city at the top and a jumble of curious characters and discarded objects underneath. Presented in relief and nestled next to each other are a Birdy Robot, a Doggy, a Rabbit Lover, A Tiger Man, a Cheese Slicer wielding two knives, a Katana Girl and a Bird Lover. Bones, skulls, candles, plates, thermoses and hearts lie between the characters—treasures of the past, waiting to be discovered.
The domain of dinosaurs, the bottom-half feature several of the prehistoric beasts. Their long necks stretch and wrap around the piece. Overlapping one another, heads and spiny tails begin where the other ends. The lower layers and Monster City as a whole are supported by the four scaly legs of an unseen beast.
While Monster City is the first of Emergency Toys’ toy boxes to make it to production, it is part of a long line of the artist’s box designs, many featuring creature-inspired designs in smaller sizes. Browsing these earlier toy boxes highlights the creative progression behind Monster City while illuminating the ties to their 15th century inspirations.
A truly standout design, the ‘Monster City’ Toy Box vinyl art toy (15.75″) is currently in the molding process and should be released later this year in a series of metal-themed editions.
