This is not a toy

"Designer toys occupy a unique place in contemporary visual culture. Lying at the intersection of product and graphic design, marketing and pop culture, urban vinyl is part merchandise, part art.... As an exhibition, This is Not a Toy aimed to introduce the art toy as a unique cultural symbol, and the book intends to go further by leading the reader deeper into this intriguing world. The publication considers the unusual position of the art toy as design object, work of art and consumer product; its fanatic fan base despite the fairly recent origins of the genre; the many cultural influences that led to its rise; the aesthetic and emotional attraction that these objects compel within the viewer; and ultimately, the designer toy as a legitimate and relevant art form."--From the Curators' Foreword.