Toy, Work of Art, Or Both?

I see them as art more than anything, even though I have so much fun with them like a toy. I just think that the people who create the sculpts do such a beautiful job, it's not something that many people can do. Therefore, it's an art made by very talented people ^_^

 

I guess it's a bit of both for me - a work of art designed to be played with in a responsible way. A bit like a musical instrument A violin is expensive, but it's no use sitting on a shelf ... I feel the same way about my dolls. I know there are collectors of both dolls and instruments that are perfectly happy with looking at their collection, but I'm not one of those.

 

I think it will be a little bit of both, just like Jany said. I will also use my dolls to create art with

 

as an aspiring fashion designer, bjds are excellent outlets of tools to practise my skills and craftsmanship. working on small scale is the first step to more and bigger accomplished ideas.

 

I use BJDs mainly for art, they are blank canvases that I enjoy bringing to life. After creating characters for them, I like to photograph them and write stories about them. But I also consider them to be toys in a way, since I have so much fun with them ^_^

 

Art first, as they r expressions of a certain look and time period. I collect many types of dolls and they represent the era in which they were produced to me. I guess I would also describe them as a collectable but not a toy in the actual definition.

 

For me, they are definitely work of art! I can create and design many things for them, use them as a model for new characters in novel, help me practicing photographing, etc...

 

As for me, I would say they are artworks. When one gets a doll it's like an art material. Then one need to customise - to make a face-up, think of clothes, of the whole composition. A doll owner is an artist for me.

 

When you say something is a "toy" that usually means the item can be played/bashed, left lying around, given to a dog to chew. I stand corrected but I don't think anyone on this board will do any of those things to their doll.
"Art", is something a person enjoys by looking at it. It is of varying value to the creator/buyer and may depreciate or increase in value over time. Usually, it is treated with care and on extreme occasions, people will insure it. Also, the doll can be painted on, modified, displayed and photographed. All these point more toward art than anything else.
Just from my understanding of these two terms, I would say BJD is art.

 

I consider them both. You get joy in "playing" with them, hence the term toys but my personal connotations to the word don't do BJDs justice. I find backstory writing and (eventually) photo shoots a larger use for them which can be thought of as play, and then there's your imaginative play without pictures or writing, just because. So they're definitely toys to me, but the way in which they're played with makes them something more precious than other toys I've owned. Not sure if I'd use the word art, but they're more than toys to me

 

I see them as a really expensive toy, but there is an aspect of art considering there's so much creativity involved with them.
I think it really depends what you do with your doll as well.

 

I think what makes them art is that they can be personalized, posed, photographed, and dressed by the owner. Owners spend time making back stories, picture stories, that to me is also a form of art.

But, I see them as toys, as in I have my girl on a shelf watching me on the computer, and when her new resin friend arrives she'll be sitting next to her. I'm not into putting them away in a box where I can't see them, I just don't see the point.

So, my vote is art toys.