I nstantly recognisable by graffiti fans across the globe, FL-001 Pointman is a silver rendition of Futura’s signature Pointman sculpture, which was debuted by the New York native more than three decades ago. In 1988, Futura was asked to design the cover art for British musical group UNKLE, culminating in the birth of the distinctive robotic figure. The elongated head, oversized ears and crustacean-inspired appendages form a striking silhouette, its glaring expression exuding an unmistakably sinister aura. This version’s most distinguishable characteristic is its towering stature: at 1.76 metres tall, the extraterrestrial figure scowls menacingly at the eye-level of most viewers. The sculpture’s shimmering finish is partially stained by water marks, an effect intended to depict FL-001 Pointman standing amidst a torrential downpour – a melancholic image which momentarily dampens the figure’s threatening demeanor and instead evokes sympathy for the misunderstood automaton.

Born as Lenny McGurr, the American graffiti artist had humble beginnings to his illustrious career, bursting onto the New York art scene as a teenager by painting in the subway. He decided to adopt his famous pseudonym after reading Alvin Toffler’s seminal work titled Future Shock. Now widely regarded as a graffiti legend, Futura is best known for his abstract approach to street art, blurring virtual reality and hyperrealism with a retro-futuristic twist. Having been exhibited alongside the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Futura was instrumental in defining the New York street art scene, and his seismic impact on the graffiti art genre has resonated worldwide. He has since collaborated with clothing brands such as Nike, Supreme and Levi’s, and has worked on diversifying his creative output to include designs for toys, sneakers and other forms of media.

全世界塗鴉藝術迷見到這件鉻合金版本的《FL-001 Pointman》都不會陌生，因為它的原型是紐約土生土長藝術家 Futura 在三十多年前發表的雕塑代表作《Pointman》。1988年，Futura 受邀為英國樂隊 UNKLE 設計唱片封面，創作出這個與眾不同的機械人偶。又尖又長的腦袋、碩大的雙耳和甲殼動物般的肢體，組成這個既注目又另類的外形，憤怒瞪眼的表情更添上一分邪惡感。此版本另一個令人最深刻的特點是高大的尺寸——1.76米的身高令它與多數觀者的視線處於同一水平。作品的閃爍表面因水印痕跡而來，為的是讓《FL-001 尖頭人》有站在傾盆暴雨下的感覺，使它看上去憂鬱莫名，略為減弱它給人的威脅感，並為這些誤解博得一絲同情。

這位美國塗鴉藝術家原名萊尼·麥古，最初開展插圖事業時很低調，因十幾歲時在地鐵裡的塗鴉而在紐約藝壇冒起。他閱讀了阿爾文·托夫勒著作《未來的衝擊》後決定採用藝名 Futura，如今他被譽為塗鴉藝術界的教父。Futura 最廣為人知的特色是以抽象手法創作街頭藝術，打破虛擬現實和超級寫實主義的界限，作品更不乏復古未來風。可以說，他奠定了紐約街頭藝術的面貌，對塗鴉藝術的影響更遍佈全球，其作品曾與巴斯基亞、凱斯·哈林等人作品同場展出。Futura 曾與 Nike、Supreme 和 Levi’s 等時裝品牌跨界合作，把自己的創作延伸至設計領域，推出玩具、球鞋等產品。