CategoriesTableware, Vessels, and Objects
Artist Merchandise and Multiples
Small objects and toys issued by artists in editions or as merchandise, from 1960s multiples to vinyl figures and collaborations.
No works indexed yet · 10 related artists
No open-access works for Artist Merchandise and Multiples are in the index yet. They will appear here as more collections are indexed.
About
The multiple is an artwork designed from the start to exist in many copies. In 1959 Daniel Spoerri launched Edition MAT in Paris to issue kinetic and optical works in editions, and through the 1960s artists embraced the format. Claes Oldenburg filled a storefront with painted plaster food and clothing in The Store (1961), and Joseph Beuys released felt, wood and printed objects as vehicles for his ideas.
From the 1980s the line between multiple and merchandise blurred. Keith Haring opened his own shop to put his imagery on everyday goods, and many street artists followed. The Japanese company Medicom Toy's BE@RBRICK figures, introduced in 2001, became a common format for collaborations, and KAWS turned his skull-and-crossbones Companion character into vinyl toys. Look for edition size, numbering, the artist's or licensor's marks, and whether the object was made by the artist or produced under licence.
.png%3Fwidth%3D960&w=3840&q=75)
