Extremely prescient designer Alexander Girard once said, "Toys represent a microcosm of man’s world and dreams; they exhibit fantasy, imagination, humour and love. They are an invaluable record and expression of man’s ingenious unsophisticated imagination. [They also decorate my house in Santa Fe, complementing nicely my unparalleled collection of folk art from Asia, Central America, and Eastern Europe, from which I drew my inspiration.
"And if I'm not around in 2006, it would be nice if Vitra would go through my design archives and the collection of the semi-abstract wooden dolls I made for myself, and produce some as special editions. Something nice to match the pillows, you know?
"And even though they have my archives right there, perhaps they can speculate whether I intended to sell these dolls alongside the boatloads of Guatemalan folk art my wife bought for my short-lived New York store, which, though I am a master of branding and design, I gave a nearly Google-proof name: Textiles & Objects. And no, I did not misspell 'googol.' Just you wait."
"And perhaps then, a modernist design magazine from San Francisco will write about the dolls, even though Vitra hasn't added them to their outpost on the DARPAnet, which, by 2006 will have ceased to be a military-run operation because all the world will be at peace, thanks to the innocent spirit of toys and children. Also, the model we created at Braniff Airlines will have become universal, and flying will be a care-free, well-designed and luxurious experience, an inestimable pleasure from start to finish.]"
He was right: Vitra doesn't mention the dolls on their site yet.
Alexander Girard Wooden Dolls by Vitra [architonic.com via dwell]
These are some lovely toys. I have not heard of the artist before but judging from his toys and pillows he seems like a great artist.