I know that I seem to be posting links to the guardian website pretty much daily, but they do have some really quirky stuff on there most days. Today's favorite is the gallery of handicraft star wars toys which hits the "aww cute" and "wow, cool" buttons for me in equal measure.
All of the photo's are of creatures and characters from Star Wars made by people who may or may not have too much time on their hands. It's a pretty impressive collection of toys made from wool, fuzzy felt or crochet, but my personal favorites are the sock yoda and the giant Chewbacca (pictured left).
There is a natural, playful, dichotomy at play here, which is what I really like about this piece. Traditional handicrafts (which, despite the recent renaissance which I keep reading about, is something of a lost art in today's society) have been applied into creating something which looks to the future. Replacing hard metals and plastics with wool and wood creates a pleasing effect, as it confronts what you expect to find from Star Wars, and gently deconstructs those expectations. The future as represented by Star Wars is a place of mechanics and mass production, which is the exact opposite of what these hand-made toys represent.
There is also an unspoken critique of the modern toy manufacturers, which use the Star Wars brand as a driving force to increase sales. The "official" Star Wars toys are mass produced, all-talking, all-walkign gizmo's, made of plastic and electronics, and will possibly entertain a child for a number of years. The toys in this gallery may not talk back, but they have a sense of humour, a heart and soul about them which will enchant a person, not just entertain.
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