Beyond Ultraman: Seven Artists Explore the Vinyl Frontier [Paperback]

Pasadena Museum of California Art (Author), Doll & Amusements Museum Los Angeles Toy (Author), Maria Kwong (Author), Ivan Vartanian (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Beyond Ultraman examines the vinyl art toy landscape through the work of Gary Baseman, Tim Biskuip, David Gonzales, David Horvath, Sun-Min Kim, Brian McCarty and Mark Nagata. Each artist has elevated the vinyl art toy movement and captured the attention of two audiences: the mainstream art community and the toy community.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ivan Vartanian is an editor, author and founder of Goliga Books, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Baby Tattoo Books (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979330726
• ISBN-13: 978-0979330728
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 10 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ivan Vartanian (b. 1972) is native of New York, where he attended New York University, majoring in Biochemistry. After working for Aperture in the mid-1990s, he moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he has been living ever since. We writes, edits, and produces books on art, photography, and design. For additional web-only content on Ivan's books, visit his company's website at www.goliga.com

Currently, he is reading David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest" in tandem with Will Self's "How the Dead Live" and Carl Sagan's "The Varieties of Scientific Experience".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seven Giants of Art Vinyl, January 1, 2008

By 

Sturgeon "Sturgeon" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond Ultraman: Seven Artists Explore the Vinyl Frontier (Paperback)

More of an art book than a dry museum publication, this catalog was created to accompany the first museum exhibition to begin the exploration of the art vinyl phenomenon, held at the Pasadena Museum of California Art in October 2007 thru January 6, 2008. It features bios of all seven artists in the show (Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, David Gonzales, David Horvath + Sun-Min Kim, Brian McCarty and Mark Nagata) plus six pages of well-photographed images of each artist's work. Essays by curator Maria Kwong of LATDA and author Ivan Vartanian place the art vinyl movement in historical and cultural perspective with roots in Asian pop culture. Of special note, the selection of David Gonzales (creator of the Homies® line of figures) and photographer Brian McCarty (whose work takes the viewer into the wider world of art vinyl) speaks volumes about the inclusive nature of the exhibition. The catalog's design goes beyond straight reporting, creating set pieces for each artist that strives to exceed the art vinyl imagery currently seen in other publications.