more customed at-ats for herd / talking at-ats with adriean koleric

Designer Adriean Koleric drops more teasers of rainbow-exploded AT-ATs for his upcoming solo show in 2009 - currently dubbed HERD : rat-ATAT-touille [tagged]. And while event/show details are as yet determined, TRE bugs Adriean for a wee Q&A into the whos, the whys and whats = CLICK THRU TO READ

TOYSREVIL: Let's start off with the basics - Getting Ta Know You: WHO IS ADRIEAN KOLERIC?

ADRIEAN KOLERIC: Adriean Koleric is a Dude from Canada who designs under the moniker of ITEM [blog]. I’ve been spending the past decade designing, prototyping and exhibiting furniture while working by day in the Engineering department for an Architectural Millwork firm here in Edmonton. I like to think of it as a Clark Kent / Superman lifestyle!

TOYSREVIL: Dude, as long as you can fit in them telephone-booths, itz all good! - Is this your first solo show, Adriean? If so, why now?

ADRIEAN KOLERIC: Yup, this is my first crack at a solo outing. I’ve been doing group shows for the past 5 1/2 years straight, so now I figured it was time to take a shot at one on my own. This time around though I’m taking a hiatus from furniture design and gearing myself towards creating work based on my influences and childhood passions.


TOYSREVIL: What better an inspiration than Star Wars, yeh? Why the show-name HERD? Is that the final official name? What is it about? (Besides the obvious AT-AT / Star Wars reference :p).

ADRIEAN KOLERIC: I’m calling this solo HERD : rat-ATAT-touille. It’s basically consisting of a number of refurbished vintage AT-AT toys from 1981 as well as a few other graphic and product elements related to this platform. The idea behind the HERD series is to put focus on items of Western Pop culture that has and still influences me in the Design field as well as the new Artistic direction for ITEM. I wanted to show that these type of items, though mass produced and marketed, were infact what I considered art growing up as opposed to disposal product.


TOYSREVIL: Makes me wonder in this day and age, if ART is Disposable (which I think it is rapidly become) will CULTURE be eventually become disposable too? Case in point: The Culture Of Collectible Art Toys. (heh). Back to the show - Why AT-ATs in particular? What's the game-plan?

ADRIEAN KOLERIC: The idea that pieces like the AT-AT were created by a faceless designer who probably fed off his/her influences to develop this design that would speak to millions without getting their proper due really hit home with me. With HERD, I will be displaying a dozen of these AT-AT’s traveling in a pack / herd to represent how art and design of this particular genre can and has lead us to where we are today. It’s also abit of a ‘thank you’ to those ‘faceless designers’ that take the time to create some pretty beautiful pieces that get dismissed due to the overkill on how many are re-produced for mass consumption.


TOYSREVIL: And the new culture that'll outlive civilization would be the Culture of Consumerism LOL - Man, I do like me them AT-ATs! (Altho I dare not claim to be an uber-geekoid hardcore fan-of). Great choice, Adriean!

ADRIEAN KOLERIC: The AT-AT itself was a no-brainer to kick off the HERD series. It’s a pretty large platform that when grouped together with others, can give off quite an impact. Plus it’s an icon in Pop Culture that deserves it’s proper dues and for me is a great set-up to the next HERD installment that will be based on…..Cobra Commander ! I’m pretty excited to get rolling with that one as it should be a hoot to work on.


TOYSREVIL: Dude, you be a man after my own 80's-retro-heart! LOL - Looking forward to more developments of HERD, Adriean! And thanks for taking the time and trouble for this wee Q&A :)



Stay tuned to Adriean's developments on ThinkItem.com :)