Corporate Tools

“Corporations can be threatening in the way they inundate us with media everywhere we go - from childhood onward…they want our money and our minds, whether it’s good for us or not.”

Screenrprint by artist Kristin Simmons featuring 2D tools inspired by iconic children’s toy brand such as Fisher Price, Playmobil, Milton Bradley, Duplo, Lego, and Mattel.

About

“Corporate Tools” emphasizes the masculine focus on building and creating leaders in society through its very first introduction in toys created for young boys. Simmons’ love for wordplay is highlighted in this piece as she uses imagery from a child's tool set to convey a larger message about “tools'' in the corporate workforce. From childhood, men and women are socialized in ways that highlight societal expectations - girls are taught to play with barbies, and boys are given kits and building sets to inspire them to create a “better” world. By replacing Fisher Price and other well known toy company logos with the names of large corporate entities that contributed to the housing collapse of 2008, Simmons illustrates a Shakespearian irony. Talk about hitting the nail on the head…

DIMENSIONS: 30(h) x 40(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen; Edition of 50, Signed and Numbered
YEAR: 2018

Pop-art inspired screenprint of multi-colored tools on a blue background highlighting the 2008 housing crash.
Closeup of light pink pliers that say Merrill Lynch in the Playmobile font against a blue background.
  • Wall Steet pop art piece of 2D tools hung in a white frame in a children's room.
  • Brightly colored screenprint artwork of 2D tools hung in a white frame above a bed against a brown wall.
  • Silkscreen print of brightly colored mechanical tools on a blue background in a black frame hung in a room with a small table and chairs.
  • Silkscreen print of bright colored toy tools for a young boys room above a yellow couch.
  • Pop art screenprint of financal firm tools hung in a white frame above a table against a red wall.
  • Print of 2D tools in bright colors labeled with finance firms including Bear Sterns, AIG, and Freddie Mac.