Art imitates life

Everyone knows a party animal, a mischievous person, a responsible person. San Francisco-based artist and designer Bruce Dunlap knows them all too well, and has recreated a host of personality types in the form of Penny, Whomsoever, Teufel, Flophouse, Beki and Angleface—just a few of the faces from Dunlap's Johnsons line of hand-painted and hand-stuffed soft dolls.

Dunlap tells Playthings that, while the Johnsons may resemble monsters, they really parallel the daily lives of humans in character. Take Helen, who wouldn't hurt a fly; the extremely focused T-bar; the party animal, Hurrah; or the un-classic beauty Crookneck.

“Their faces capture human emotions. Each Johnson can stand on its own with its distinctive personality,” says Dunlap. “However, as a group, the Johnsons make a dramatic presentation. There is collectible value of adding each new character to the group. Their shapes are close enough to humans with outstretched arms and animated faces that adults and children can identify with the characters.”

Dunlap adds that, while he works on finding the right distributor, he'll focus on bringing the Johnsons to even more people.

“The Johnsons are making the transition from individually hand-painted items sold in museum shops, boutiques and specialty stores to a much larger audience,” he says. “I am interested in introducing the Johnsons along with their story in book form. I feel that as more people are exposed to the Johnsons, other projects will follow. I envision the Johnsons in animated form, bringing life to their story and a better understanding of their community.”