False Friends in Full Bloom

Lithography is a printmaking technique that involves drawing on a flat surface—traditionally limestone, though modern lithographs often use metal plates—with a greasy substance like a specialized crayon or ink. The fundamental principle behind lithography is that oil and water repel each other. Works for the coarse world began in 2003, when German artists Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk started a distinct style of sculpting that looked almost as if they had chiselled and exposed the figures from three dimensional rock. The streamlined sculptures are hand crafted and finished at the coarse workshops in Hamburg and Hong Kong. The artists focus primarily on statues that range from small to life size, made from resin and/or fibreglass. Their work also includes photography, prints and objects, combining all aspects to create holistic pieces of art. Pieces that convey an alternate reality. A fiction brand. By using traditional toy production techniques, the original sculptures, 'coarse originals', are transformed into vinyl figures under the 'coarsetoys' imprint. As a result of living in two separate cultures, the artists blend eastern and western aesthetics. A possible explanation for the brand's popularity worldwide. coarse figures are currently available in art toy stores and galleries across 28 countries worldwide.