THE DOLLS ARE COMING THE DOLLS ARE COMING
“Doll Therapy”
“A doll is one of the most intimate expressions
possible of the human spirit….a commentary on human society, the little world
of dolldom reflecting the great, for everything that happens in the great world
is reflected in the little. A dollographer, when he studies a doll, studies
also people, a social scene; and sometimes there may be only a doll to tell the
story.” Marguerite Young
The
American novelist who scripted this quote was a doll collector and creative
writing instructor. One of her students,
Edward Swift, grew up around rag dolls lovingly made by his grandmother,
but he confesses “they were something mysterious, not cute or precious.” His
work in this exhibition, bundled paper-mache creatures that frolic, haunt,
twist and turn, hint at the story of his relationship with those childhood dolls.
Swift sees them as people bewildered by the complexities of life, yet with a
sense of humor about their journey. Some seem to be waving a flag, others
appear to sing; all are thought-provoking.
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| Edward Swift |
Multidisciplinary
and experimental artist Gabriela Buenrostro Solórzano, known in San Miguel as Gaby
Black, employs recycled materials such as discarded toys, doll parts and furniture.
Embellished and swaddled with yarn, baubles and beads, her hybrid babies are
highly textured and colorful. Inspired by natural and organic forms, Black’s
work is infused with a sense of the unknown, unexpected and unexplained.
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| Gaby Black |
A
member of Philadelphia’s
Dumpster Divers, Ellen Benson says “I look at a bottlecap on the
street and see a little hat; my old paintbrushes look like legs.” Her doll
people incorporate plastic bags, recycled paper, old doll clothes, toys and
other found objects. A natural born storyteller, she sees cigar boxes as houses
in which to create a narrative. Benson has agoal of creating 1000 figures; she’s made about 600
so far.
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| Ellen Benson |
When
asked “why dolls?’, Carole Clement proclaims “because I can!” Her dolls,
as in her other art, tell her what they want. Some require lengthy layering
while others want to be kissed fast and furious. Her work is an attempt to
uncover, tame and embrace the spirit of those dolls with mindfulness and
nonattachment. Like a midwife, she’s there to listen, massage, or get out of
the way so that their mystery can unfold.
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| Carole Clement |
As for myself, I'm back to repurposing Barbie dolls. She’s a blank canvas, open to endless
possibilities, ready for visual messages different from the ones given to the
children who collect her and dress her up. Barbie has grown up somewhat since
she was invented, but the perfection and proportions still convey an impossible
ideal. My dolls, like my other work, play in the realm of social,
political and commentary.
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| Lena Bartula |
All the
dolls in this exhibition will be for sale, and the show continues
through January 9, 2018. La Huipilista Artspace is participating in Guadalup/Arte December
Art Crawl, a new event I organized with some artist neighbors. All of us live and work in Guadalupe, and all will have different hours that day.
Participating venues will provide maps of locations and times of events.
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