Troubled by the sterile nature of fine art, Tott Global founder Justin Kershon was never content to simply stare at a framed painting in a gallery, and has long sought to create a means by which viewers can interact with art. After receiving a Studio Arts degree from Humboldt State, followed by travels throughout the world, Kerson created TOTT as an answer to this dilemma that has long puzzled him. Kerson believes that everything is art. By blending classic games together with the artwork of the world’s top artists, he aims to allow people throughout the world to have a hand in watching their own pieces of art come to life. Whether its rolling snake eyes, getting a royal flush, or completing a puzzle, he invites everyone to create their own masterpiece.
1xRun Thru Interview
Tott Global Summer Sale by Justin Kershon
1xRun: Tell us a bit about the various pieces we have for the Tott Global Summer Sale…
Tott Global: ToTT Global has some really cool products featured in this summer sale, like our clear (beer proof) Buff Monster Playing Cards, that go hand in hand with our Claw $ poker chips on game night! Now that summer is here, and the kids are out of school our puzzles will have them around the table for hours giving you plenty of catch up time as a family together.
1xRun: What are some of your personal favorites here?
Tott Global: I can’t say I have a favorite, I go through phases. Some weeks you’ll catch me rolling with our Mike Giant “Rollin High” dice in my pocket, ready to take a few bucks from the homies at any given time. Then I’ll switch it up, like on “skate day” cruzin the mission with our Benny Gold dice rolling straight 3’s! I do like Our new Camilla D’Errico Puzzle that was just released in June!
1xRun: How did the concept of Tott Global come about?
Tott Global: It was started as a social experiment, stemming from my conceptual art. The idea was “would grass root games act as a catalyst in this fast moving tech world to bring people and community together, as my sculpted tea pot series had in the past.
1xRUN: How did the idea come about for doing all these tangible products like puzzles, dice and dominoes for these artists?
Tott Global: We collaborate with artists to design and produce a game or product that they enjoy, or are interested in that most suits them. Sometimes artists approach us about creating a game that they personally love, and played as kids. Like Benny Gold’s “Picture Me Rollin” 3’s dice game, and our Claw $ Poker Chips which were perfect for her, due to chips being the form of money in poker. We solidified the chips with our exclusive 1xrun print to go with the release at Kid Robot in NYC.
1xRun: Where else can people find Tott Global?
Tott Global: – Website – Facebook – Twitter & Instagram @TottGlobal
You can find us on the streets, disobeying the law! Check out our “The Detroit Project” video on E Baums World that we debuted at the NYC MOMA. Produced by myself and Ron English, “The Detroit Project” was created for the world to marvel at, and bring awareness to the unseen beauty in Detroit.