Loading... Please wait...

Our Newsletter


Sort by:

Robert Bradford

Robert is one of life’s personable, nice guys.  Always a bit off the wall, scarily perceptive and very talented, he experiments with utilitarian materials as well as found or used objects and transforms them into artworks.  His creations are usually in series and quite intentionally use low tech, hands-on construction methods.

His famous toy series began in response to a moment in his studio spent staring into a box of outgrown and discarded plastic toys that were there by chance.  Initially, he was caught by their random juxtapositions in the box, the intensity of their colours and the considerable variety of their forms.  Then it occurred to him that they referenced so many aspects of human activity and that, probably, no other objects had been loved quite so much by their owners.  He was also struck by the fact that each mini sculpture – aka toy- had been designed by artists who remained unknown and uncredited.

And so it began.  Robert felt compelled to imbue the plastic toys with new life, new contexts and, in so doing, new meanings.  His whimsical toy sculptures became a sensation and are now collected around the globe.  These days soft plush toys and faux flowers have also found their way into his work and been given new life.  From miniatures to monumentals and all that comes between, Robert's sculptures can be found in private collections and public institutions around the world.

Robert is fascinated by ideas related to development, change, transition and transformation.   For several years, in parallel with his art activities, he also worked as an adult psychotherapist and several of his works have been informed directly or indirectly from concepts inherent in this work…. particularly those regarding play as the fundamental root of creativity.