Rotofugi and the art of selling arta chat with Kirby and Whitney from Rotofugi

  • Posted on: March 22, 2013 @ 10:26PM
  • Published in: Articles
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I want to start out by saying a big bubbly thank you to Kirby and Whitney for sitting down with us last week. We've spoken often about how time and again we find the people in this community to be so wonderfully kind and gracious, and this trip has been one big testament to that.

This was my very first time at Rotofugi, and being the toy junky I am, I could feel myself emanating greed as my eyes darted from one toy to the next. The store is huge, 3000 sq ft. or so, and the open gallery feel showcases product and art with equal gravity. Rotofugi is loosely split into a ‘store’ and a ‘gallery’ although both spaces are filled with beautiful artwork. In the back hung a show titled In Color with new works by Netherland. On the other side of the store hung a mini-exhibit from Mitch O’Connell. My eyes scanned the walls and shelves simultaneously, and in my mind I tried to compose what I was there to talk about - in this contemporary movement of lowbrow/pop surrealism and designer toys the blurry line between product and art has many collectors and appreciators thinking about value. Kirby and Whitney's perspective is unique, in that establishing value isn't just an abstract concept to ponder over tea (like it is for me) but a pricing necessity and a key to their continued operation.

Kirby is originally from Missouri with a background in graphic design; Whitney is a natural administrator originally from Arkansas. They've been together for somewhere between 14 and 16 years (depending on which one of them you ask, and how quickly you want an answer) and their obvious chemistry and shared passion is infectious and incredibly sweet. Fugi, a tiny little dog for whom the shop is named, sat on Kirby's lap chiming in periodically to let us know we were infringing on dinnertime.  We sat down with them to talk about their likes, dislikes, and their vision for the future of art toys. 

The popularity of the designer toy movement has had its ups and downs, but is generally on the rise. As with any art, I believe that only the viewer has the power to decide whether or not a toy is good, but when we talk about assigning value, Kirby has a great way of looking at designer toys. He sees them "…as an artist multiple … making toys equivalent to prints and having them be the affordable version of [art from] artists that you love." I think this is a great point of view, and ties the value of a toy (beyond its manufacturing cost) directly to the value of the artist. We all agreed later in the conversation that some artists have transcended this, and whose toys are more than an extension of their body of work. Those artists, however, are few and far between. **Insert lamentation over the loss of Strangeco and exaggerated drooling over Coarse here. 

I agree with Kirby that the best toys are the ones supported by an artist's vision and there’s a reason for this. As the movement grows there are plenty of people making things just to make them. In fact, my favorite line of the whole conversation came from Whitney and captures this point perfectly. 

Kirby led in, saying "There are a lot of people that see what art toys are, they get excited about it and they decide they want to participate, but art isn't the first thing on their mind. The first thing on their mind is, 'oh how cool would it be if I made a toy'…."

"'I want to make something.' not 'I have something to make.'" Whitney finished the thought. I think this quote is spot on. Without a point of origin or some sort of conceptual logic behind the design a toy loses the title of art and become just another plaything. I think this is an opportune moment to point out that there’s nothing wrong with a toy just being a toy, but that drastically changes what I’m willing to spend on it. 

In the back room of Rotofugi, it's easy to nerd out about what we like. In fact, the coolest thing about talking to Kirby and Whitney is the jumping off point that toys can be art, and that this art is so very cool. Oh sure, if you're on Trampt and you're reading this then you probably take this attitude for granted, but as someone who has had to explain our passion to coworkers and friends' parents many times I appreciate this common ground. We chatted for more than two hours about our favorite toys, artists, and evolving as collectors from loving “the thrill of the blindbox” to buying original Art. Rotofugi does for Kirby and Whitney what Trampt does for us, transforming us from passionate hoarders to industry professionals. I’ll leave you with just two more quotes from the purveyors of my favorite toy store to remind you that it’s not just the art that makes this community great. The true value of any work of art is in its audience. Whitney’s favorite part of running Rotofugi is the customers “At the end of their shitty day at work, we're the happy place…” Whitney began, and Kirby continued the thought:  

“That's a very fulfilling part of what we do.” 

 

 

 

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Miri Rooney

Makin' hats and kicking butts.

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2 Replies

Rotofugi is great people,

I'd love to check it out in person someday.

almost 11 years ago · Comment ·

Been to the store, awesome location and great setup. I love the entrance way with the toys that are not for sale. The cool thing was it is litterally a straight shot from Wrigley, so I got to enjoy an awesome vinyl store and then baseball.

almost 11 years ago · Comment ·

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