LOS ANGELES (April 8, 2005) -- The ANDREWSHIRE GALLERY is pleased to announce the UGLY Show featuring works by artists David Horvath and Sun Min Kim; the creators of the well-known "it" art toy brand - Uglydoll. The exhibit will showcase their fine art works on canvas inspired by their 10 well-known plush characters.
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 16, 2005 6-8 pm.
The ANDREWSHIRE Gallery, 3850 Wilshire Blvd., #107
Los Angeles, CA 90010; T. 213-389-2601
Exhibit dates: April 16 � May 7 2005
Andrewshiregallery.com
Uglydolls.com
The Uglydoll brand is comprised of ten characters -- Wage, Babo, Jeero, Cinko, Target, Tray, Ice Bat, OX, Wedgehead and new member -- their pet � Uglydog. The ten Uglydoll characters created by artists David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, Prettyugly llc, are being sold in museum shops across the globe like: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York & Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in LA, The London Design Museum in the U.K. and were most recently accepted as part of the French State Toy Collection at the Mus�e Des Arts D�coratifs in Paris.
ANDREWSHIRE GALLERY is showcasing Horvath and Kim's art from April 16 through May 7, 2005. The works vary from paintings from both Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath; to 100 hand made plush Uglydolls created just for this show; 18" hand made Uglydolls, uglyworms!, about 30 black & white and hand drawn pieces 2 giant one of a kind prints, a few 24" to 30" fiberglass uglydogs, and whatever. Also the highly popular 10 "pinks and reds" will be for sale (now fetching great amounts on Ebay will be for sale.)
"We are thrilled to be showing at the Andrewshire gallery," says Horvath. "We wish to open up our ideas and stories to a new audience, and bring our faithful, devoted fans into an unexplored territory."
Collaborating on fine art and toy projects has been a part of Sun Min Kim and David Horvath's romance since they met at Parsons School of Design in 1996. From their first drawing class together until two years after they graduated, David and Sun-Min worked side by side, creating art, designing fun toys and making each other smile. The brand was conceived when they were separated shortly after 9-11. David and Sun-Min filled the void by sending each other "I miss you letters." He ended all of his with a drawing of a little orange, apron-wearing uglyguy named Wage. Sun-Min surprised David by sending him back a 3D version of his character � thirteen inches tall, cuddly, orange and plush. Thrilled, David asked Sun-Min to make him another one, she made five. He took the extras to the then newly opened Giant Robot, an Asian pop culture store in LA, and soon after the Uglydolls were on their way to becoming a phenomenon.
David and Sun-Min's Uglydoll family grew quickly. They came up with the new characters together, David drew them, and Sun-Min sewed each one by hand. Now, they are representing their very own company, Prettyugly, llc based in New Jersey.
When David and Sun-Min began working on the Uglydolls, their goal was to make art, not money. They made sure the Uglydolls were affordable to anyone who wanted them. Each handmade Uglydoll sells for under $30, unheard of in the art toy world, where most toys sell for at least $100. They wanted to create toys that were special, hand-made and not part of the corporate mainstream. Their commitment to making the Uglydolls by hand ensures that no two dolls are exactly alike and each one is as special as the original prototype.
The contemporary plastic art toy movement caught on with the arrival of Urban Vinyl action figures from Hong Kong. Working at separate Hong Kong studios in the late 90s, artists Michael Lau and Eric So launched the now world famous craze of plastic art toys that reject consumer culture. It was the arrival of Lau's Crazy Children action figures at Giant Robot in 2001, however, that really captured the world's attention.
Only six weeks later, the Uglydolls appeared on Giant Robot's shelves, and they did for plush art toys, what Lau did for plastics. Other artists had been producing their own hand made-plush toys and selling them at much higher prices at art-related hang outs since 1996 � from A Life to Air Market in Manhattan. But it was the originality and affordability of the Uglydolls that created the excitement for the plush art toy. David and Sun-Min inspired several lines now being produced, and brought more attention to art toys in general. Now, they are expanding their art to include fine art works for sale at the AndrewShire Gallery.
