Doll Photo Shoot - Hanna

I've done another set of doll photos! Along with sharing these, I thought I might mention how I got inspired to begin working with dolls as an art form. As I mentioned earlier, it was a childhood hobby. But it had settled in with all those almost gone memories until I came across the work of the surrealist artist Hans Bellmer. He created life size dolls out of wood and plaster and photographed them in all sorts of creepy and beautiful ways. His work is certainly dark, but it hooked me. Each time I look at the photographs I am still drawn in like a moth to flame.

Bellmer was working on his dolls in 1930s Nazi Germany. Wikipedia states that his dolls were intended "to oppose the fascism of the Nazi Party declaring that he would make no work that would support the German State. Represented by mutated forms and unconventional poses, his dolls were directed specifically at the cult of the perfect body then prominent in Germany."

But as with most statements on Wikipedia, this must be taken with a grain of salt I think. There seems to be a good amount of literature out there which points to Bellmer's Lolita-esque/Freudian sexual frustrations as the source of his inspiration. Even Wikipedia mentions the three events which apparently served as catalysts for his first doll. These three events were "meeting a beautiful teenage cousin in 1932 - and perhaps other unattainable beauties; attending a performance of Jacques Offenbach's 'Tales of Hoffman', (in which a man falls tragically in love with an automaton); and receiving a box of his old toys. "

Here are a couple links if you're interested in learning more:

Wikipedia
Essay by Sue Taylor, and art historian from the University of Chicago

Kazine

We all know how fantastic zine culture is right? What a great way to fight the stagnation of culture brought on by large corporations and their ways of mass production. Recently a great group of people started up a zine in Guelph called Kazine. It has a lot to do with music because it's affiliated with Kazoo, a bi-weekly music show, (often featuring bands from the local label, Burnt Oak). Kazoo has gained enough esteem to frequent the e-bar, a classy place downtown Guelph which has seen the likes of Ohbijou, Born Ruffians, and Sarah Harmer. But Kazine covers more than music. It's got articles on local political and social issues, personal essays, poetry, and of course, art! I contributed a the piece pictured above to issue no. 4.

I'm very grateful that I had such an oppourtunity. It's these sorts of grass roots efforts that keep us all going. I definitely recommend that you check out Kazine. You can get it at the Kazoo shows or at Daydream Nation.

Here is a link to their myspace page, if you want more info or are thinking about submitting something yourself:

Kazine MySpace

Bloc Print Stockings

Quite a while ago I bought a couple of kick ass shirts from my friend Sami. Upon inquiry she told me how she fashioned them using linoleum bloc prints. I thought to myself then, 'This is something I must do myself.' I finally made it after all this time.

My first design turned out to be jellyfish. I just sat down with my little linoleum block and my sharp little tools, and a couple of jellyfish just slid out. I've been watching a lot of ocean documentaries lately. Since I can't live under the sea myself, I must settle for ocean art.

Due to my obsession with stockings, I shockingly decided to print my jellyfishes onto a pair of stockings! They turned out alright. I used an oil based bloc paint for durability's sake. Oil paint doesn't mix well with impatience however. As you can see, there are some unsightly smudges on the leg to the left. I got a bit hasty and just had to try one on before it was completely dry. Lesson learned right?

I can't wait to make more hot stockings! Perhaps I will develop enough bloc printing skills to sell some tights on Etsy. I'll keep you posted!

If you want to see a pro in action, check out Sami's Etsy store at:
EverythingOk!

Doll Photo Shoot - Abigail

I've been thinking about this project for a while, and last night I finally gave it a whirl. My boyfriend Brendan makes fantastic sculptures out of second-hand Barbie dolls. They have been whispering "photo shoot" at me for ages. My first shoot was done with Abigail. She totally loved it. You will too if you're into bondage, dolls, or creepiness. There will be more to come!

Mondo Magazine

I thought I'd start off this blog with something really exciting. A little over a month ago, my friend Kerry featured me as artist of the week for Mondo Magazine. Mondo is a cool online magazine of art and culture based out of Toronto. I posted a link to their page in my list at the bottom of my blog. It's well worth checking out on a regular basis.

My interview can be found at the following link:

Mondo Interview