A custom would be anything that used another figure as a platform imo and not officially released through the original creator as part of an official series or exclusive release.
Are the legs/body re-casted from R2-D2? If so, then this would be a custom.
If so, than a half of KAWS figures would be "customs", because he uses well-known characters and adds to them his trademark bones and Xs.
In my opinion, custom is a figure which is altered in some way – painted upon, form modified, but which has an original base of another figure. If the base sculpt is casted by artist, than it's not a custom anymore, even if the sculpt uses parts of another figure.
In my view, KAWS' original sculpts are no more "original" than Sucklord's figures. Seriously, how "original" are Kaws Chum (Michelin man), JPP (Japanese police Pipo), or his latest Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket? The only alterations on these figures are his trademark X eyes/hands and skull.
So why KAWS' figures are called originals, while Sucklord's are "mashups"?
KAWS may use the characters as inspiration but he is producing his own re-interpreted of that character. He draws it from scratch using the form language. If you look closely, the forms of each KAWS character changes from the original beyond the X eyes/hands and skull. Especially the sculpts.
I am not a fan of KAWS but they are re-interpretations of the original characters.
If Sucklord was drawing his creations, creating his OWN sculpts, then it would be original "re-imaginations" works. But Sucklord takes a figure, sticks it in a box and makes a mould then reproduces it.
I also love Sucklords work.
In your opinion "If the base sculpt is casted by artist, than it's not a custom anymore"
So I can take any figure, recast it and sell them under my own label I would be producing original figures?
Sorry, but I'm still not convinced. Take a look at these two – http://bit.ly/kawschum, http://bit.ly/hasheem. How different are KAWS characters from the originals? Not much. And the list goes on and on...
So, you're basically saying – that the only difference between KAWS and Sucklord is, that KAWS draws his characters first, while Sucklord casts his figures directly?
I'm not here to bash KAWS and defend Sucklord. Also I'm not saying that recasting an original sculpt from another artist makes it your own original creation. But that's not the case here with "Spray 2-V2". R2-D2 is a culture icon, exactly like Pinocchio, or Tweety (the latest KAWS figures). So I don't see any problem with originality of "Spray 2-V2", as well as with Sucklord's Gay Empire figures.
Intellectual property law is VERY tricky in regards to "art"
Everything does change when its considered to have iconic cultural significance but Sucklord bootlegs, plain and simple, its what he does. He directly takes the parts and re-produces it, he can be charged with bootlegging.
Sucklord is fun and cheeky, I love it!
Main point:
KAWS creates original sculpts, he doesn't use another sculpt/toy as a platform. Therefore, not customising a toy.
Sucklord uses other sculpts, he doesn't create an original sculpt. Therefore, customising a toy.
In the end I think the custom section on Rotocasted should be used for individuals to showcase their own custom versions that they have made for themselves (or others). This would also go really well with the multiple copies/collection picture section if added. (I gather it is sill in the works?)
If an individual has produced "customs" to sell as "art" then it shouldn't be in the custom section and considered "self produced".
@CoMus Kaws original sculpts? i disagree a bit, in a big part of Kaws work he take the body of already existing characters, (is not a custom agree,) but original works? not too sure.. he re-sculpt them, yes, but i mean, if Sucklord instead of re-produce and make molds of existing pieces, he re- sculpt em to make it looks exactly the same as the original and add a bone in the head then you may think different ?...
I was only trying to define the distinction of what a "custom" is, not the originality of the character design. Original sculpts only refers to competently creating a new sculpt.
Yet his designs are still different from the original character designs. You can see this on the two comparative pictures vadimt linked above. He picks up on all the important features and it looks the same but his drawings/sculpts are not 100% of the original character. Very very close! They are copies but are not traced/cloned.
I am not saying Kaws designs are original either. Its pop art and its not my thing at all.
I don't think this is a custom and I don't think Kaws' work is a custom. Like CoMus says- it's pop art. Did Andy Warhol "customise" the Marilyn Monroe photo?
I think the sucklord's use of "bootleg" is in part directly to bypass and subvert these definitions. maybe we should accept that not all works of art fall neatly into our categories :)
3
9
jazzydan
499 646 2538
13 years ago
How do I put this in the custom section?
sergeySafonov
801 2515 1650
13 years ago
Type should be "Custom". Is it really a custom?
jazzydan
499 646 2538
13 years ago
Well its a limited run of 1 offs hand made by the sucklord. So I'd say yes. Shall we see what the general consensus is?
http://toysrevil.blogspot.com...
turdhole
129 102 1
13 years ago
custom? that's a tough one. i have 1. i consider it a one off but there are a couple similar. im stumped
Vadim
777 516 471
13 years ago
I wouldn't say it's a custom. It's an original figure by Sucklord, not something he customized.
sergeySafonov
801 2515 1650
13 years ago
I don't think it's a custom, really.
spankystokes
411 3 5
13 years ago
Not a custom.
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
A custom would be anything that used another figure as a platform imo and not officially released through the original creator as part of an official series or exclusive release.
Are the legs/body re-casted from R2-D2? If so, then this would be a custom.
"Mashups" are customs too.
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
BTW how does he get away with his "bootleg" ways, its his charm but its an interesting standpoint.
Vadim
777 516 471
13 years ago
If so, than a half of KAWS figures would be "customs", because he uses well-known characters and adds to them his trademark bones and Xs.
In my opinion, custom is a figure which is altered in some way – painted upon, form modified, but which has an original base of another figure.
If the base sculpt is casted by artist, than it's not a custom anymore, even if the sculpt uses parts of another figure.
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
This is where we are getting close to intellectual property law and to what extent is considered a violation of it.
KAWS creates original sculpts with the form language of famous characters he reworks, not recasting pre-made figures and adding/subtracting parts.
Sucklord does alter his figures, he recasts them; he buys a figure, recasts it, adds a few parts and sells it as his own.
Silicone legs, resin body with a spray cap he bought from a store. This is a "mashup" custom or is it "ART"?!
Vadim
777 516 471
13 years ago
In my view, KAWS' original sculpts are no more "original" than Sucklord's figures.
Seriously, how "original" are Kaws Chum (Michelin man), JPP (Japanese police Pipo), or his latest Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket? The only alterations on these figures are his trademark X eyes/hands and skull.
So why KAWS' figures are called originals, while Sucklord's are "mashups"?
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
KAWS may use the characters as inspiration but he is producing his own re-interpreted of that character. He draws it from scratch using the form language. If you look closely, the forms of each KAWS character changes from the original beyond the X eyes/hands and skull. Especially the sculpts.
I am not a fan of KAWS but they are re-interpretations of the original characters.
If Sucklord was drawing his creations, creating his OWN sculpts, then it would be original "re-imaginations" works. But Sucklord takes a figure, sticks it in a box and makes a mould then reproduces it.
I also love Sucklords work.
In your opinion "If the base sculpt is casted by artist, than it's not a custom anymore"
So I can take any figure, recast it and sell them under my own label I would be producing original figures?
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
Before things get a bit too blurred, I consider anything a custom if it uses another figure as a platform, even if its recasting parts from it.
Not re-designing a character and produce an original sculpt.
Vadim
777 516 471
13 years ago
Sorry, but I'm still not convinced. Take a look at these two – http://bit.ly/kawschum, http://bit.ly/hasheem.
How different are KAWS characters from the originals? Not much.
And the list goes on and on...
So, you're basically saying – that the only difference between KAWS and Sucklord is, that KAWS draws his characters first, while Sucklord casts his figures directly?
I'm not here to bash KAWS and defend Sucklord. Also I'm not saying that recasting an original sculpt from another artist makes it your own original creation.
But that's not the case here with "Spray 2-V2". R2-D2 is a culture icon, exactly like Pinocchio, or Tweety (the latest KAWS figures). So I don't see any problem with originality of "Spray 2-V2", as well as with Sucklord's Gay Empire figures.
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
Intellectual property law is VERY tricky in regards to "art"
Everything does change when its considered to have iconic cultural significance but Sucklord bootlegs, plain and simple, its what he does. He directly takes the parts and re-produces it, he can be charged with bootlegging.
Sucklord is fun and cheeky, I love it!
Main point:
KAWS creates original sculpts, he doesn't use another sculpt/toy as a platform. Therefore, not customising a toy.
Sucklord uses other sculpts, he doesn't create an original sculpt. Therefore, customising a toy.
In the end I think the custom section on Rotocasted should be used for individuals to showcase their own custom versions that they have made for themselves (or others). This would also go really well with the multiple copies/collection picture section if added. (I gather it is sill in the works?)
If an individual has produced "customs" to sell as "art" then it shouldn't be in the custom section and considered "self produced".
jazzydan
499 646 2538
13 years ago
Ooops looks like I started a debate and then slept through it.
I just thought it was a custom as it was a vintage r2d2 body with a spray cap stuck to it's head.
Is it weird that someone else has this in their collection, I was under the impression that every one the suck lord made was a different colour way.
Chauskoskis
8 15 12
13 years ago
@CoMus Kaws original sculpts? i disagree a bit, in a big part of Kaws work he take the body of already existing characters, (is not a custom agree,) but original works? not too sure.. he re-sculpt them, yes, but i mean, if Sucklord instead of re-produce and make molds of existing pieces, he re- sculpt em to make it looks exactly the same as the original and add a bone in the head then you may think different ?...
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
I was only trying to define the distinction of what a "custom" is, not the originality of the character design. Original sculpts only refers to competently creating a new sculpt.
Yet his designs are still different from the original character designs. You can see this on the two comparative pictures vadimt linked above. He picks up on all the important features and it looks the same but his drawings/sculpts are not 100% of the original character. Very very close! They are copies but are not traced/cloned.
I am not saying Kaws designs are original either. Its pop art and its not my thing at all.
lordsketch
381 1089 1433
13 years ago
I don't think this is a custom and I don't think Kaws' work is a custom.
Like CoMus says- it's pop art. Did Andy Warhol "customise" the Marilyn Monroe photo?
I think the sucklord's use of "bootleg" is in part directly to bypass and subvert these definitions.
maybe we should accept that not all works of art fall neatly into our categories :)
CoMus
171 468 619
13 years ago
LOL gotta love that last Line :P Collectors OCD wont stand for this!
jazzydan
499 646 2538
10 years ago
Should be resin not vinyl, so many tags in this library have been changed! I'll change back.