Silhouette dancing: 18. Experimentation with DOLLS

Playing with Dolls

I found inspiration in the piece below, the strange "doll like" piece with empty eyes that is simultaneously gripping and scary.

I explored an exhibition book by Mike Kelley, "The Uncanny" (1993), and discovered that dolls (and objects that resemble humans) are frequently used to evoke the uncanny. Below are some examples from his exhibition.

They are all incredibly strange, and all resemble dolls somehow. Ball joints, or solid faces made out of plastic - they live up to the concept of "uncanny valley" by being incredibly realistic at points, but not quite enough to trick us into believing they're real. So, it makes us uncomfortable, instead.

In Mike Kelley's book "The Uncanny", he explores an extreme example of attachment and uncanny - "Ed Gein spoke of the bodies he dug up from graves (and kept) as being like dolls, and a certain comfort was received from their presence." (R. Gollmar, 1981 p. 60)

I found this incredibly unnerving, but very interesting, and it affirms the power that 'dolls' can have on a viewer.

This is my doll.

Here is another doll, who also belongs to me.

I decided to start experimenting with them in my work, rather than using real people.

I think that using dolls in my work will add a new depth - it may be unnerving, because my subjects will seem lifeless and void of personality, but I think the uncomfortable reactions could be interesting.

I asked a peer how they felt about this piece, and they said "it makes me feel strange."

They couldn't explain how, but they knew that they felt uneasy. I would call this an uncanny experience.

When I asked a peer to explain their feelings towards this picture, they said

"I don't know. It's a sad picture - she looks sad."

I found this interesting because of how she managed to attach herself to the doll and project feelings onto it.

I enjoyed experimenting with the organic "squiggles" and flowing lines, more than the flowers - I think that the flowing abstract patterns and shapes are more enigmatic, and surreal.

They are successful in distorting the doll's face and features, without hiding them completely.

I can't decide which composition I find more interesting, out of portrait and landscape images of my doll.

The landscape images focus more on the face, which could be seen as scarier, because she appears closer to the camera - but, the portrait images allow you to see more of the doll's body, affirming that she is a doll and giving an eerie feeling that she is watching you from across the room.

I employed the same techniques here, as I did on the piece below:

Basically, I layered images and patterns to create combined, surreal textures of abstract patterns AND flowers together.

I asked for feedback on this specific image, and the response I got was.

"What the f***."

I found that very entertaining, and I was not offended, because I was glad about the strong reaction.

I think that these images would be more successful on a larger scale.

Another reaction I received, was...

"They kind of give a lot of emotions... Like.. Warmth somehow.. Most likely colour and pattern.. Yet a deeper .. Unknown feeling from the faces.. And then they inflict unease.. But that is only because dolls freaks me out "

I also experimented briefly with the other doll. I think she appears much more sweet and innocent because of her hairstyle.

The fact that she is not looking directly at the camera makes her a little bit more tolerable, because you do not feel watched.