While some of the elaborately carved and decorated dolls, toys and childhood trinkets of the pre-modern world could easily be considered art, it wasn’t until the 20th century that toys became more frequently used in a conceptual manner. Dadaism, Surrealism and Pop Art have all incorporated toys in some manner or another, either as symbolic imagery or physical form. Often representative of youth, fantasy or consumerism, various toys have taken on different meanings in contemporary work. Andy Warhol’s 1981 silkscreen work Howdy Doody captures a popular television character, while the work of Pictures Generation artist Laurie Simmons often features …
While some of the elaborately carved and decorated dolls, toys and childhood trinkets of the pre-modern world could easily be considered art, it wasn’t until the 20th century that toys became more frequently used in a conceptual manner. Dadaism, Surrealism and Pop Art have all incorporated toys in some manner or another, either as symbolic imagery or physical form. Often representative of youth, fantasy or consumerism, various toys have taken on different meanings in contemporary work. Andy Warhol’s 1981 silkscreen work Howdy Doody captures a popular television character, while the work of Pictures Generation artist Laurie Simmons often features dolls, puppets, dummies and dollhouse furniture.