Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
I meant to post this ages ago, but now is the perfect time since his and Kiyoka Ikeda’s (Gargamel) figures have gone online. (GR - Le Merde)
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The mastery of Kiyoka Ikeda and Le Merde will be available to the public online. They’ll be sitting a this link.
Le Merde and Kiyoka Ikeda at Giant Robot 2. Kiyoka Ikeda wasn’t present, but his presence was there in the forms of his ground breaking custom work. The walls had some paper murals to be colored in a little at a time. That’s Matt Specktor, daughter and Mike Kelly (Le Merde).
Customers check out the figures.
Coloring in walls.
You may know Kiyoka Ikeda from Gargamel and you know Mike Kelly (Le Merde) together they’re combining forces to create a new body of work. Here’s a preview of what’s to come. The color ways are amazing. Moai in the middle has to be a nod to Tokyo’s Moai at Shibuya station (Easter Island), Sphinx and the pyramids. I dig this kind of thinking. Coasters! Following up on his last set of coasters, here’s a preview of the new upcoming set.
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The obsession of some Japanese folks have been noted by many and this article in the WSJ explains just a few more examples in length. How far does authentic need to go? Does it need to match the roots of the product or project? Does it match a hybrid that’s current? In Japan, it seems to need to find the best time or era of the item, if not, it needs to be as obsessive as possible to satisfy the perfectionist. It ranges from clothing, food, and more. Made in Japan means something to many and that stamp is something that’s sought after. Even the toy companies like Gargamel proudly lives with that stamp on their figures. In the (WSJ- Made Better in Japan) read a bit more about how far people go for that perfect something.
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