Nickelodeon TMNT Campaign

A commissioned series for Nickelodeon gave Brian the opportunity to play around the streets of New York with the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Since 1987, action figures of these “heroes in a half shell” – made by Playmates Toys – have dominated store aisles and fueled children’s imaginations. Bringing the characters to life as they tore through Times Square and breakdanced in Brooklyn was a massive treat for Brian.

The resulting series has started showing up on licensed property and point-of-purchase displays in Target Stores nationwide. The “sewer periscope” placed at child-level gives boys and girls the opportunity to flip through seven of the photos and see the turtles in action. Judging by how much wear-and-tear can already be seen on the viewers, they seem to be a hit with kids! Brian is flattered to be offering up some turtle-powered inspiration to the next generation.

Target POP Display

WAR-TOYS Named as Aftermath Project Finalist

The Aftermath Project is a non-profit organization committed to telling the other half of the story of conflict — the story of what it takes for individuals to learn to live again, to rebuild destroyed lives and homes, to restore civil societies, to address the lingering wounds of war while struggling to create new avenues for peace.

Brian is extremely honored that his WAR-TOYS project was named as a finalist for the Aftermath Project's 2016 grant competition. It is the first time the organization and its panel of distinct judges have acknowledged a project that is outside a traditional documentary format. 

ISIS Theft of WAR-TOYS Photo

Brian was shocked to learn that the Islamic State had appropriated and altered one of his WAR-TOYS photos from Gaza, turning it into propaganda promoting extremist beliefs. 

Original "Gaza Cinderella" photo (left), Altered photo (right) with copy added, “Under the Crusader bombing…the Islamic-Caliphate State.”

In the altered photo, IS removed the Cinderella toy and replaced it with their flag and other iconography, protected by some sort of shield. The propaganda piece circulated online for several months before its use was discovered by the image-tracking service Pixsy. With Pixsy's help, the altered image has largely been removed from social media sites like Twitter. From Brian:

"I couldn't have imagined that the intention of the work would be corrupted so horribly and used by a group like ISIS. They took a little girl’s very real fear of war and turned it into something promoting extremist beliefs – ones at the core of unspeakable amounts of death and suffering."

The original photo was art directed by a girl at a UNRWA-run school in Gaza. She made a drawing that was filled with tanks, soldiers, and helicopters along with a sky-full of missiles targeting a crying girl. When asked about the drawing, she focused on those two elements – the girl and the missiles. Brian photographed her account in Gaza using locally found toys while missile strikes were hitting close-by. 

For more information on the theft and WAR-TOYS project, visit its website at wartoysproject.com

Times Square Toys "R" Us

Last October, a giant billboard-sized photo shot by Brian went up at the flagship Toys "R" Us store in Times Square. The photo, featuring toy versions of Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, was produced as part of a larger series for Cartoon Network in Atlanta. While on display thousands of children and their families had a chance to see the massive display in person.

Five Year Touring Exhibition of WAR-TOYS

Beginning in 2016 and continuing through 2020, the NEA-funded Mid-America Arts Alliance will present a traveling exhibition of War-Toys photographs, drawings, and artifacts curated by Catinca Tabacaru. The exhibition titled War-Toys: Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip will tour various institutions and museums throughout the US. Exact dates and venues will be posted as they are solidified over the coming year. 

The Mid-America Arts Alliance (MAAA), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of six not-for-profit regional arts organizations funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Founded in 1972, MAAA creates and manages regional, multi-regional, national, and international programs including traveling exhibitions, performing arts tours, and professional and community development events.

Catinca Tabacaru, J.D./LL.M., founder of New York-based Tinca Art, curates War-Toys: Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley (2003) and her graduate degrees from Duke Law School (2007). She spent her early career working for the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Office of Chief Defense Counsel for the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2010 she founded and then served as the first Executive Director of Women’s Voices Now. This background in justice, conflict, and human rights informs and inspires her exhibitions.

Brian is honored to be working with such a remarkable group of people equally dedicated to promoting human rights and the arts. 

WAR-TOYS Preview at Peanut Underground, NYC

November 5th - 26th, the cutting-edge Peanut Underground Art Projects in NYC will host a preview exhibition of WAR-TOYS: Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip. The show, curated by Catinca Tabacaru / Tinca Art, will feature a selection of recent work alongside the children’s drawings that served as art direction and inspiration. An installation of ambient sounds from the region will accompany the images and provide an opportunity to further understand the experiences of the children.

Brian will be in NYC for the opening event on Tuesday, November 5th from 6-9pm. There will also be an intimate artist's talk and book signing at the gallery on the evening of Saturday, November 9th from 6-9pm.