Flatliners in Deep North

Flying Pig

All you need is love

Frutti Tutti Cowboys & Indians

I created this selection of Flatliners for the Toy Box exhibition at Kick Arts Shop in Cairns. Opening Fri 23 Nov and continues until Sat 29 Dec. Xmas shopping preview with discounts Thurs 5-7pm.

The melty men were Policemen, Cowboys and Indians. They couldn't take the heat of our deep north.

Now I am Bound for here this weekend for some chillaxation.

Giant Metal Baby Meltdown

This is what happens when giant metal baby goes up against the police and fire brigade with his monster heat gun in downtown Wreckerton.

Introducing the new range of super cute flatliner pins, smaller than the earlier edition made from army men figurines. I've been experimenting with all sorts of new spacemen, construction workers, cowboys and indians, hunters and natives but and these flat cops and firies are my current pick. I bought out Giant Metal Baby (a cast brass armyman/baby crossbreed that I prepared earlier) to promote the new flatsies.

Funny thing though that the process of melting the figurines accentuates existing phallic characteristics (guns) and creates new ones in abundance with their arms, legs and heads starting to look rather rude. Or are my eyes playing tricks? Perhaps I am just a bit influenced by the Queen's tasty treatise on the topic. Judge for yourself:

Boys toys reverting to type in wrecker oven.

Whatever the case, the huge commercial potential in phallic flattened figurines means I won't be staring down the barrel of imminent financial ruin for much longer.

Choking Hazard All Ages

I'm always on the lookout for new plastic army men to wreck as the right kind for my flatliners are no longer manufactured. So I came across this rather shocking set of Great Beige Hunters with firearms and Noble Natives with spears and axes in the toy section of my local bargain basement store. I tried to remember what century it was. Admittedly, I am inured to the 'cowboys and indians' sets that you still find on the shelves which are probably just as bad, but I have never seen anything quite as revolting as these. Fortunately they do come with a choking hazard warning. They just got the age limit wrong. These toys may cause choking in decent persons of all ages. If they have an upside, it is that there is at least a female figure included in the set - albeit as "nature-woman-in-bra-with-disproportionately-large-feet-and-hands".

I also found this rather wonderful construction set of yellow and red blokes. Though disappointingly no female role models here, at least there are no guns and genocide.

War: what is it good for?

Well the plastic toys are about the only benefit I can think of. Here is my flatliner brooch pin range - made from vintage plastic army men. They will soon be available for sale on my online shop. They are a very limited edition as the modern army men no longer are made with good quality plastic that melts nicely. Like cheap easter egg chocolate, they are padded out with dirt, bits of grit and paper. They don't melt so much as burn (photos by war correspondent, Wayne): Anyway, my Flatliners are inspired by the disturbing street art I saw around my 'hood one day:

+ beach plastic + war bowl by mosely meets wilcox + plastic girl's gorgeous melted Tupperware jewels. The Flatliners are spirit blobs. Unlike their pre-melted selves full of action and deadly intention, they are dissolving back into the earth, their weapons gone all flopsy.