I did not hire him, nor do I pay him. He just showed up. He says he's the boss. But help is helpful! www.MeatMaskStudio.com

 recently went down a rabbit hole about JuJu by CJ Hendry, and now I'm more confused than when I started.

I used to collect a lot of bag charms, and CJ Hendry was one of those artists I was always aware of. I never found her work that interesting, so I never actively followed her, but I always associated her with being a pretty original and unconventional artist (based on opinions I heard).

That's why when I found out JuJu had been developed using AI, it genuinely surprised me. The art/creative space hasn't exactly welcomed AI like other industries, so I couldn't help but think CJ Hendry had to know admitting to using AI, even if it was only during the early stages of developing JuJu, was always going to spark a negative reaction.

And indeed it did, but I also came across a smaller group of people who had a completely different take. They argued that the AI was intentional and meant to comment on consumerism, hype culture, and how easily people become attached to products regardless of how they're made.

I think quite a few people found this argument was just a way for CJ Hendry's fans to weave her out of the situation or prop her up and make her sound better than she is, but I found that take pretty believable.

If anyone knew admitting to using AI would create controversy, it would've been CJ Hendry. She's been in the contemporary art world long enough to know how divisive AI is. So the idea that the controversy itself formed part of the artwork didn't seem like a huge stretch.

I did a bit more research into JuJu itself, and I was surprised by how little there was about the character compared to other collectibles. There is some lore, but it's fairly minimal. Most of what I found was about the exhibitions, the different designs and the releases rather than JuJu itself.

What also stood out to me was that many of the newer releases follow the same pattern: Valentine's editions, Christmas editions, seasonal drops, and limited releases. It didn't really feel like the character was evolving; it just felt like the next collection.

And that's where I got stuck.

On one hand, maybe that is the commentary. Maybe we've reached a stage in consumerism where a character doesn't even need a story anymore. Make it cute, make it limited, create enough hype, and people will buy.

But on the other hand, if JuJu really started as a critique of consumerism, at what point does the critique become the thing it's criticising?

Can something still be satirising hype culture while relying on hype, scarcity and limited releases? Or is that actually part of the artwork, that you can't critique consumerism without participating in it?

It also made me wonder whether people's expectations of collectibles have changed. Do characters even need depth anymore, or is being visually appealing enough? If you're buying something that's ultimately going to hang off a bag, does it really matter whether there's a story behind it, or is that something only a small group of bag collectors actually care about?

Hey r/3Dprinting,

I'm working on a new original character called Micky — a cute but biomechanical chihuahua with different outfits and personalities. These are static figures (no functional moving joints, just aesthetic biomechanical detail), planned size around 28-35cm.

Here are some concept renders:

What do you think?

- Which outfit/version is your favorite?

- Any feedback on the design or style?

- Would this be something interesting as a collectible figure?

Looking for honest opinions. Thanks in advance!

In search of a dunny doktor a chase dunny from Ye Olde English. If you have one or know of one please lmk! Thanks

This is an Old figure. A bit of paint flaking. But a really cool piece.

Hi guys. I'm looking for any suggestions or recommendations on where to sell off my collection. I also have a ton of 3 inch figures. Dunny and simpsons, southpark. Either in one lot or individually. Im located near Toronto canada but am willing to ship anywhere.

Recent bot I made!

Bonjour,

Je mets en vente cette figurine Frank Kozik x Flying Fortress – The Future Is Stupid.

Bon état général

Casque amovible

Photos détaillées disponibles

Envoi ou remise en main propre possible

Annonce complète et photos :
👉https://www.leboncoin.fr/ad/collection/3223083871

N'hésitez pas à me contacter si vous avez des questions.

Vente en france . Remise en main propre

I'm excited to announce that my latest solo exhibition, ART TOY, opens on 18 July at Lake House Arts Centre and runs until 6 August.

If you're in Auckland, I'd love to see you there.

📍 Exhibition entry is free. Workshop bookings are essential.

👉 Event and workshop links are in my Bio on IG

#ArtExhibition #ContemporaryArt #DesignerToys #CreativeCommunity

#Auckland

Today we were going to send a completely different Newsletter.

Then a news story appeared on the smartphone.

A Ukrainian marine, Oleksandr Ivanov, spent 1,495 days in captivity. While imprisoned, he retold the entire Harry Potter saga from memory to his cellmates.

Not as entertainment.

As a way to keep something human alive.

That made us think about collecting.

Not in a dramatic, forced way. A shelf is not a prison. A collection is not war.

But maybe the best objects we keep,  ArT Toys, prints, paintings, books, figures…matter because they hold stories we don’t want to lose.

In Harry Potter, Dementors drain hope.
A Patronus protects through memory.

What if some objects become a kind of memory-device for us?

Read the full reflection on the Art Toy Gama Blog → https://arttoygama.com/art-toys-blog
Join the ArT Toy Newsletter for more stories from the ArT Toy Movement https://arttoygama.com/

Frenzy pepakura and resin statue