Yoskay Yamamoto Creates Pop Culture Statues Without Their Usual Visages
Jason Soy — March 28, 2012 — Art & Design
Upon initial viewing, these Yoskay Yamamoto sculptures can be quite unnerving to look at. Taking familiar pop culture characters like Bart Simpson, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Pikachu and Hello Kitty and altering these characters to have a similar face, the Japanese artist toys with viewers’ expectations and gives them something refreshing, if completely odd.
Perhaps the most striking feature of these Yoskay Yamamoto statues is their almond-like eyes. Cartoon characters are traditionally presented with doe-eyes to convey a sense of innocence, so to see beady slits in their place definitely catches audiences off guard. Then there’s the matter of protruding noses and pouty lips. These three characteristics combine to form faces that aren’t particularly nice to look at, forcing viewers to re-evaluate their relationships with cartoon characters and whether their feelings towards these pop culture staples can sustain itself despite superficial changes.
Perhaps the most striking feature of these Yoskay Yamamoto statues is their almond-like eyes. Cartoon characters are traditionally presented with doe-eyes to convey a sense of innocence, so to see beady slits in their place definitely catches audiences off guard. Then there’s the matter of protruding noses and pouty lips. These three characteristics combine to form faces that aren’t particularly nice to look at, forcing viewers to re-evaluate their relationships with cartoon characters and whether their feelings towards these pop culture staples can sustain itself despite superficial changes.
Trend Themes
1. Altered Pop Culture - Exploring the trend of altering familiar pop culture characters to create new and unexpected interpretations.
2. Challenging Expectations - Examining the trend of subverting traditional design elements to provoke audience reaction and redefine familiarity.
3. Cognitive Dissonance - Focusing on the trend of creating sculptures that prompt viewers to question their preconceived notions and challenge cognitive dissonance.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - Discovering disruptive innovation opportunities in the art and design industry to create unique and thought-provoking sculptures beyond traditional norms.
2. Pop Culture Merchandise - Exploring opportunities for disruptive innovation in the pop culture merchandise industry by creating unique and unexpected interpretations of familiar characters.
3. Marketing and Advertising - Identifying disruptive innovation opportunities in marketing and advertising by leveraging altered pop culture sculptures to challenge consumer perceptions and generate unique brand experiences.
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