Artist Statment
Off the Shelf, 2010
Oh, what magical entities to ignite the imagination! These stuffed and molded bits of fiber, how cunning they are! How lively! The secrets they must know! Just ask any doll…especially ones that have been around for a while. The old and tattered ones are the wisest.
As I began working on this new series of drawings and paintings, I revisited several of Dare Wright’s children’s books. As a child, I was fascinated by the imagery within “The Lonely Doll”, and the way in which Wright was able to bring so much life to her inanimate characters through her captivating photography. I began creating and photographing my own tableaus as I worked from life, using the dolls within my personal collection as a means to continue my narratives surrounding relationships and poke around just the tiniest bit within the visual lineage of art history.
I have taken to wondering what my dolls do all day when I am out, or at night, after I have gone to sleep. I think a great deal about which dolls are related to one another, who they prefer to consort with, and what they might like to wear. Some of my favorite dolls are mass manufactured, but my handmade, one-of-a kind dolls are indeed sacred. Like painting or drawing, playing with dolls is a hands-on activity that offers both substance and enchantment in one’s solitude. Similar to image making, my dolls both comfort and woo me and for the most part, allow me to be the boss.
It is my hope that these images stir up their viewer’s memories, and who knows, maybe a few old friends will come out of safekeeping, come off of the shelf and awaken once more.