Did you used to play doctor with your toys when you were a kid? Maybe you even got a little curious and decided to poke around in their stuffing. Well, don’t worry, you’re not that weird. In fact, there’s an artist who’s creating incredible sculptures that will finally quell that childhood curiosity.
The artist is Jason Freeny, whose background includes working as an illustrator for Penthouse and Heavy Metal magazines, and as a prop and award designer for MTV. However, his most recent projects are these anatomical cutaway sculptures of toys. He likes to combine pop culture with satirical humor, and the result is a hilarious new view of these iconic characters.
Freeny also makes anatomical sculptures of human characters, like He-Man.
(He doesn’t really need to do one for Skeletor, does he?)
Still, their not-quite-human proportions become more evident when you can see the insides.
To create these, Freeny starts with an actual plastic or vinyl toy. The toys are then cut open, and their insides are filled in with modeling clay and/or polyurethane foam. The bones and organs are sculpted and painted, usually beginning with the ribs. The result is this charmingly irreverent take on toys.
Freeny says that his style comes from the clash between his various work experiences. He’s worked for adult magazines and as a children’s toy designer. He says this combination of styles, themes, and audiences gave rise to a, “surreal mixture where innocence clashes with maturity.” He also credits a “youthful and overactive” imagination. We can definitely see that.
And then there’s Gummi Bear, whose translucent exterior makes it even more visceral.
(via Demilked)
You can see more of Freeny’s work, including original sculptures and digital art, on his website. There’s even a shop if you’d like some of his work for your own. You can also see in-progress images and more on his Facebook, deviantArt, and Twitter.
