Phil Frost - BE@RBRICK

Phil Frost is a self-taught contemporary New York artist. His unique aesthetic is heavily influenced by street graffiti and African art and much more. In the early 90’s he made his mark by painstakingly tagging the streets of New York. Today, his work can be found in galleries, on album covers, on commercial merchandising like shoes and skateboards, and just in the street! In 2018, Medicom Toys collaborated with Phil Frost to add to their expansive collection. One of the most iconic figures from his collaboration is the “BE@RBRICK Phil Frost 100% & 400%”.

Phil Frost x BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background

As of 2021, Medicom toys has collaborated with Phil Frost to create two distinct styles of BE@BRICK designs. Both designs come in 100%, 400%, and 1000% sizes.

Collaboration Planning and Launch

Released originally in late 2018, Phil Frost and Medicom toys collaborated to create a BE@RBRICK line that could be considered a window into Frost’s work. The next year, they expanded the collection to create a newer 2019 version of his BE@RBRICK that is an accurate representation of his more recent work.

BE@RBRICK Phil Frost 100% & 400%

This BE@RBRICK features Phil Frost’s iconic style. We see abstract white patterns that resemble a sort of typography. These patterns are layered over colorful faces that are reminiscent of African masks. One interesting aspect of this BE@RBRICK is that each individual piece has a unique pattern and design. Collectors may want to pick up multiples of them. This set of two figures comes with a 100% figure standing at around 2.8” and a 400% at 11”. In addition, there is also a 1000% version available for fans to purchase.

Product Name: BE@RBRICK Phil Frost 100% & 400%
Artist: Phil Frost
Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
Specifications: Set of 2 painted, articulated, non-scale plastic figures
Set Contents:
Ver. 100% (height: 70mm | 2.8")
Ver. 400% (height: 280mm | 11")

About Phil Frost

Phil Frost originally became famous for his installations throughout the streets of New York in the 1990s. Frost made use of found objects such as doors, baseball bats, and more as canvases for his works. Phil Frost is a pantheist and expresses his spirituality through his creations. His mixed media works juxtapose raw vibrant colors and typography with dull weathered environments. In 1994. He was featured on the PBS program, City Arts. Then in 1999 he finally mounted his first solo exhibition and has since continued to expand his range. His pieces can be seen in many more exhibitions on album covers, and more. They are also available for auction online for collectors.

About Phil Frost’s Untitled (2009) Works

The BE@RBRICK featuring Phil Frost’s work does not depict just one piece but rather his style in a certain time period, most accurately 2009. Many of his works during this time period remain untitled but share very similar qualities. Those qualities include the bright colors and mask-like faces as well as the layered white typography. Frost himself struggles to explain the meaning of his pieces and considers his process to be instinctual. He has a wide range of influences including skate culture and handwriting styles. That influence appears in a very unique way in the lacy white layering on his pieces. Some particularly notable pieces from this time are Polorang and Bust of Intuitive Force. These pieces are both very brightly colored, and some star-like shapes are shared between the two. While many of his pieces use duller, earthier tones, these pieces use very bright, almost neon colors.

Other Important Phil Frost Artwork

Phil Frost’s artwork from the 1990s littered the streets of New York, adding to the city’s pulsing energy. He turned common everyday objects from baseball bats to barn doors, into incredible complex works of art. Through his work, one can feel the age and wear of the city as well as the new and vibrant changes. Up to today, he has held solo exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and more.

Related Figures

Medicom toys has produced another BE@RBRICK in collaboration with Phil Frost. The BE@RBRICK Phil Frost 1000% (2019 version) features a different design style from the previous one. This Be@rbrick is colored in white red and black tones. Morphed faces and typography are drawn out and seemingly random splatters of red paint come together to create a somewhat chaotic scene. Due to the stark contrast and minimalism of the colors, one might view this figure to feel much more disturbing and harsh than the first. However, this figure is just as unique and interesting as the last. In it, we see depictions of his more recent work.

In addition to Phil Frost, other artists from all around the world and generations have collaborated with BE@BRICK such as KRINK (Craig Costello), Stash, Jackson Pollock, and more.