My Little Pony, a toy line for girls from Hasbro that was extremely popular in the 1980’s, has launched an exhibit/promotion called The Pony Project. Hasbro, to re-energize the My Little Pony Line, has invited young, contemporary female artists of varied backgrounds such as graffiti, fashion, illustration, photography, and fine art to customize blank 18” My Little Pony figures. Artists like Claw Money (graffiti writer), Maya Hayuk (fine artist), Betsey Johnson (designer), and Kozyndan (illustrator) will create their versions of My Little Pony.
The figures will then be displayed in New York City’s Milk Studio in late October and auctioned off with artists receiving 50% of proceeds and The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, an organization that supports kids art programs, receiving the other half. Thunderdog Studious and Paper magazine are also sponsoring the event.
As always, our resident art expert, Bucky Turco, had some concerns about the promotion. “I wonder how far Hasbro will let these artists go. Some of these ladies do really edgy art. Kozyndan, for has illustrations of bunny rabbits smoking bongs. Surely that will not fly. It will be very interesting to see what comes about and see how brave Hasbro will be. Admittedly though, it’s nice to see this kind of line up of artists and see that it has nothing to do with the Japanese toy and vinyl phenomenon but rather a classic childhood icon.”
