Art of Bruce Whistlecraft

March already? Where is the year going?

-Mechtorians Competition-
To celebrate the release of the Mechtorians Series 1 mini-figures, MINDstyle and Doktor A have teamed with Vinyl Pulse to bring you a special Mechtorians Photo Competition. The winning entry will receive Doktor A’s hand-done custom Stephan PioneersPodd (9″). A Wild Wild West incarnation of the intrepid adventurer.
To enter, shoot a creative photo (scary, funny, or just plain awesome) starring one or more Mechtorian figures (series1 and/or the 9″ Stephan Le Podd). Then submit the photo to the Mechtorians Photo Competition gallery by the deadline which is Monday, April 6th 2009 @ 8 PM PDT.
Follow the link for all the info and pictures of the prize.

Doktor A x MINDstyle – Mechtorians Photo Competition

-Transcenders Show-
Gallery 1988 ( http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com ) in LA currently hosts a five man show featuring the works of Jason D’aquino, Scott Schindly, Jason Limon, Michael Page and Doktor A.
All the Doktor’s pieces ( a selection of 2D and 3D works) are all related to the Phenomonological Engines of Blavatski & Sons.
Some pieces are still available for purchase.
The show runs until the 27th March.
If you cant make it to the gallery in person you can see all the works online here:
http://www.transcenders88.blogspot.com/
And there is some nice coverage of the opening night show here:

Openings: Transcenders @ Gallery 1988 LA

All the show pieces have also now been added to Mechtorians.com
Gallery 1988 L.A.
7020 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles
CA 90038
USA

-New Online Store-
A new central sales hub for all things Doktor A is now online and ready for you perusal and patronage.
This new store will be the one stop shop for all toys, prints, original artworks and other surprises from now on. New works will be added on a regular basis so drop in now and again to keep up to date. There is already a good selection of items available and the new Mechtorians mini figures will also be listed there soon.
Don’t go to the secondary market! Buy direct from the artist. All goods can be signed or personalised on request.
http://www.spookypop.bigcartel.com

-Idiot Box Show-
Gallery 1988 in LA celebrate their 5 year anniversary with a huge group show inspired by really good really bad TV shows. 100 artists share their guilty pleasure television favorites from April 2nd to 23rd.
Opening reception is on Thursday 2nd 7 to 11pm. With all works viewable online around that time.
Doktor A has created three paintings for the show in homage to the classic 1960’s shows Lost in Space and The Addams Family.

http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com
Gallery 1988 L.A.
7020 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles
CA 90038
USA

That’s all for this month.
Thanks for your continued support.

The Monster Art Rally at Gallery 1988 in San Francisco has opened and all the monsters are online now.

Take a look here :  1988monster.blogspot.com/

The webpage for the Gasmask themed show I have a piece in is now live to view here : rivetart.com/rt
Check out all the splendid works and be amazed..
(You could even buy one too if you wanted…)

That Mr. Jensen. He makes me blush…
http://g1988.blogspot.com/2008/07/im-focused-man.html

For anyone who cant wait for the show page to go public later today.
Here is the preview link.

Link: http://rivetart.com/shows/2008/preview/6.jsp

Username: burlap
Password: hgwells

Thanks to everyone who visited the opening of my “Welcome to Retropolis” show last night. Wether it was physically getting out to the gallery to taste the Scones or virtually squeezing down a web tube..
I will post links to any coverage as it starts popping up. Expect some photos later.

Also this morning it seems I have been included in a long article called called “Steampunk Rising”. You can find it hear :
http://www.crn.com/hardware/208400607;jsessionid=NUV5EKEPOHGXIQSNDLOSKHSCJUNN2JVN?pgno=1
Rounds up a lot of the tech modders and makers out there.
A good basic guide type thing..

Incoming Solo show…………
A primer to the world of the Mechtorians.
Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures and custom toys.

Drop me a line if you want to get on the previews list.
anyone on the list for a previous show will be on this list already.

Just a pre-note to say I am changing my mailing list over to a new server and so anyone already on the email list should get a verification request which you will have to comply with if you want to get newsletters in the future. Sorry it’s a pain but the list is just getting too large for me to handle manually any more.

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Hello and welcome to the March 2008 edition of Doktor A’s newsletter.
There has been a lot happening in the first few months of this year. And it’s all a prelude to the mountains of stuff happening later this year.
So lets get the ball rolling…….

Mechtorians ( http://www.mechtorians.com ) ( http://www.mindstyle.com )
Since the last newsletter the big news of Doktor A’s first proper production toy line has hit the interweb.
Mechtorians are Victroian-Futurist style robots from a distant neverwhen world, capturing the Doktor’s shabby rivited vintage style. Here is a little summing up of all the blogging that’s out there.

“If any art toy made a lot of noise at New York Toy Fair 2008, it was none other than MINDstyle’s Mechtorians by Doktor A. The combination of one of the leading art toy companies and one of the best toy customizers certainly has fans worldwide buzzing about the amazing series.
Here’s what we know so far… a special SDCC exclusive figure will be available at San Diego Comic Con with Series I launching this fall. The first series of six figures are window boxed with exclusives and limited color versions available from the MINDstyle premium retailers. But wait, there are rumblings of an ultra limited and exclusive advance figure available to only Art Toy Society members, and if that’s not enough… there’s even something special for only ATS premium members. Wonder what that could be? So, if you’re not already an ATS member, you still have a chance to join.”
Info about the ATS club here : http://www.1045showroom.com/ats.html

The first wave will be out toward the end of 2008. And there are lots of secret versions and other characters in the works to keep your toy collecting muscles busy over the coming years. The prototypes will be on show at the new York Comic Con ( April 18th – 20th).
Watch the websites and your favorite toy blogs for updates.

Speakerdog ( http://www.bentheillustrator.com/speakerdog_index.html )
Speakerdog is a popular print-it-yourself downloadable paper toy. Series five of the little brute has just gone live on their website for the world to enjoy and Doktor A has created one of the new designs.
So if you have a wet Sunday afternoon to fill. Drop by the website and download a little paper friend.

Upcoming shows :

Multiple Personalities Show ( http://www.liftfootwear.com )
LiFT Designer Toys, in Royal Oak, MI, will be having a group show entitled Multiple Personalities beginning March 29th. The opening reception will start at 7PM. This will be the first show at their new larger location. It’s an open platform show featuring custom toys of all sorts, skate decks, and original paintings from a number of today’s top designers and underground artists. Doktor A will have a customised Treeson and a Rupture bust sculpture available at the show.
LiFT Detroit
228 W. 4th St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
March 29th

The Soopa Show ( http://www.esctoy.com/soopa.htm )
Concrete Jungle New York hosts a group show of customised “Soopa Coin Op Bros” toys from ESC Toys, opening April 19th. You may have read about Doktor A’s “Pac Gentleman” custom of this toy recently. Hopefully that work will be on show at the exhibition along with a new Doktor A piece ans works by other artists and designers from around the world. So if you are in town for the Comic Con get over to Concrete Jungle and check out all the video game cabinet styled goodness.
Concrete Jungle
70 – 15 Austin Street, Forest Hills
NYC 11375
April 19th

Ok folks that’s all for now. But there are lots more treats in store. Its going to be a busy year.

I have work in two shows soon..

“This Time It’s Personal”
at Rivet Gallery in Columbus Ohio, USA
Opens March 1st to the 16th
Collectors show their art stash.
(Exhibition only, though I do have other works available for sale at this gallery..)

“Speakerdogs”
at Cafe Pause Tokyo, Japan
Opens March 17th to the 23rd.
Group show of Paper Speakerdog toys.
Every Speakerdog ever designed will be in the show. All 5 series.
And if you havnt guessed yet Doktor A is in the brand new series 5 due for release to the public on March 3rd from :
www.bentheillustrator.com