sculpture

Doktor A’s ‘The Confectioner’ for Monsters & Misfits II

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Next up to bat from Doktor A for Monsters & Misfits II is The Confectioner, an organic chemist and Joshua Hipplewaithe’s co-conspirator in candy creation. Here’s his story:

Organic Chemist by trade Archibald Schpoon enjoyed cookery as a hobby.
Upon a chance meeting with Joshua Hipplethwaite he began experimenting with confectionary and soon it became a driving passion.
He delved into the conundrum of complex and unusual ingredient combinations and the unexpected effects that they could have on some types of Mechtorians.
Ever pushing and blurring the boundaries of what was possible within the fields of exquisite delicacies and recreational pharmaceuticals.

Fashioned from vinyl, acrylic, epoxy resin, polymer clay, lead, rubber and found objects, the Dok delivers yet another showstopper original sculpt for the collectors in Japan. More snaps of the candy man are below!

M&MII Video: The Journey So Far

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The artists have landed. The exhibition is hung. It’s now time to soak it all in. And while most of us will only be attending the opening reception of Monsters & Misfits II in spirit, Shinji has whipped together a video of the adventure thus far: from the airport, to driving through the winding roads of Hirayu and Takayama, right up to the Kusakabe Folk Museum, where the show is being set up. Have a watch; it’s magical.

Monsters & Misfits II opens tonight in Japan at the Kusakabe Folk Museum in Takayama

Doktor A’s ‘Candy Factory’ for Monsters & Misfits II

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Two weeks ago, Doktor A shared a photo on Facebook that partially revealed what he deems his most complex sculpture to date: an original creation that he had toiled over for a month for Japan’s Monsters & Misfits II exhibition. That sculpture is ‘Candy Factory’ and thanks to Shinji and his Tomeno Blog, we have an in-depth look at this amazingly elaborate gummy candy maker. His story:

Joshua Hipplethwaite
Confectioner and innovator, Joshua is the creator of the renown Ee-by-Gum, chewing candy.
This popular delicacy has an odd intoxicating effect on steam driven Mechtorians, but is repugnant to those who are spring wound.
One of the fastest selling sweets in history, its long term effects are unknown and its prohibition has been called for in some quarters.
Though he does not partake himself Joshua wised to dispense his product as far as possible.
To this end he rebuilt his own body so he could crank out the candy wherever he travelled.
First one is free! And they always come back for more.

The whole thing blows my mind, to be honest, but the sugar bottles in the back add such a sadness to it:

Wasted chances, forgotten dreams and unfulfilled ambition? Damn, that’s some heavy stuff right thurr. But more on the sweeter side of sugar land: the faux candies are actually soft and squishy. I know, right?! More photos of the Candy Factory (and its engineers) are below and via Dok’s blog, here!

Monsters & Misfits II opens April 13th (today in Japan!) at the Kusakabe Folk Museum in Takayama.

Scott Radke Finishes Totem Commission #2

In a little over one month, Scott Radke has wrapped up his second totem commission, this one going out to actress/producer Nathalie Rheims. Standing an astonishing 6’9″ (81″) tall,  the sculpture is crafted from clay and burlap. These just keep getting better; peep the gallery below for close-ups of these enchanting creatures.

New Sneaks from the Monsters & Misfits II Catalog

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Circus Posterus’ catalog for this year’s Monsters & Misfits exhibition is hot off the press and Shinji over at Tomenosuke-syoten has granted us a sneak peek at some of the pages. Showcasing selected works from each of the exhibiting artists, the 48-page, full-color catalog will be available for purchase on opening night and will likely be part of the online sale, as well. To the collectors outside of Asia who are looking to take home a piece of this exhibition, the online sale will be taking place at midnight on April 14th, which I believe will be Saturday morning/afternoon for many of us. To be safe, keep checking the Monsters & Misfits II banner near the bottom of the Tomenosuke homepage (right now it should say ‘coming soon’ when you click on it). If this sale is being handled similar to last year, the preview page will be up before it goes live to give collectors a chance to look at everything (preview instructions are usually included on this page, as well). Good luck to all the collectors and best wishes to Brandt, Kathie, Chris and Amanda as they attend their first Japanese reception!

CMR’s ‘Berry Triggle’ & ‘Great Gruggle’ for Monsters & Misfits II

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The week of Monsters & Misfits II is finally upon us, and while Kathie, Brandt, Chris and Amanda drive each other crazy on a plane for the next 12 hours, we get to enjoy some sweet final teasers for the event before the big opening on the 13th. From Chris Ryniak’s monster studio comes Berry Triggle, a custom Bubblegut, and Great Gruggle: The Candied Overlord, which I believe is an original sculpt (who stands an impressive 18 inches).

Stay tuned as we drop more teasers to celebrate the opening of this special CP exhibition! Best wishes and congratulations to the artists as they travel to Takayama to meet their monsters and all of the Japanese collectors! It’s been a long time coming!

The Great Escape: More Sneaks & Preview Info!

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The online preview for The Great Escape will go live on Sat., April 7th, HERE! Requests will only be accepted via email. Absolutely no sales will be taken over the phone, though you’re welcome to call if you have any questions.

We will begin accepting online inquiries on Mon., April 9th, starting at 12 noon PST. Requests may only be sent to strangerfactorysales @ gmail.com. Full instructions will be outlined on the preview page so stay tuned. Good luck!

Andrew Bell Discusses ‘The Great Escape’

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The world of Escape has been without sustainable natural resources for generations, over the years it has slowly become a closed system. The sole remaining source of energy for the inhabitants of Escape is that which is contained within themselves and their existing ecosystem. The ancients of Escape devised a system to harvest that energy which is then stored in liquid and crystalline forms for redistribution. Any waste of that energy, either through malicious actions or accidental deaths, is considered most shameful.

Citizens of Escape are expected to make an honorable sacrifice of their own energy to be harvested at the end of their lives, some families may even sacrifice their youngest children if they are unable to support their existing energy needs. Consume more energy than you are worth, and soon you or your loved ones are marked for judgement.

 A thriving black market energy trade endangers the future of Escape.

On a personal level, the themes and imagery of “the Great Escape” chronicles some of my attempts to free myself from the disabling traps of past emotions and memories, to accept a new reality, and to move on from a love and a life left behind.

 The Great Escape opens Friday, April 6th, with a reception from 6 to 9pm.

Stranger Factory
109 Carlisle Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106

This double show also features the work of Kelly Denato, and her own personal take on the title “The Great Escape”.

[via Creatures In My Head]

‘The Baker’ by Amanda Louise Spayd for Monsters & Misfits II

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Aside from her insanely impressive Lizzie custom, Amanda Louise Spayd has another big fella for the upcoming Japan exhibition: The Baker. And if she is anything near the height of Mandi’s first two tall dudes (The General and Harvest Gift), she stands at least 30 inches. It’s always such a pleasure watching Mandi’s work evolve — she’s performed many engineering marvels over the past year: how to make her sculptures sit, develop arms, adopt convincing animal forms and now, compared to her first tall dude, she’s mastered long legs. Bravo, lady!

Monsters & Misfits II opens April 13th at the Kusakabe Folk Museum in Takayama, Japan.

Another Box Touches Down in Japan

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Another box o’ monstery goodness from Kathie and Brandt has found its way safe and sound to Tomenosuke for Monsters & Misfits II. We’ve got a custom Skelve bust, Candy Coated Kumas (yes, that’s a new edition!), followed by custom Kumas w/ embedded Lucky Skulls and a gorgeous encrusted Mega Skelve (the eyes on this one kill me). I could only image the excitement of opening a box like that; a collector’s wet dream! Exhibition opens in just over a week at the Kusakabe Folk Museum — we’re almost there, folks!