Poly-Resin Dolls

The doll image has been a part of my artistic vocabulary for the last three years. I have four distinct bodies of work that have incorporated the “doll body” in contextually different ways to express my current focus and concerns. My artwork is a by-product of a creative process that builds upon reactions, decisions, observations and obsessions.

The work on this page is from an installation call Boundaries. For this project I cast 30 poly-resin dolls that were at once child-like and mature. Their luminescent opaque forms stand about 13” – 15” tall and have an ethereal alien quality. These dolls have been exhibited in various dramatic settings to describe the individual and the dynamics of relationships. Staged sometimes within square barriers that represent neighborhoods, homes or emotional boundaries or in lines augmenting the loss of individual identity they always quietly speak of social issues.

I began casting objects following a multi-disciplinary project I participated in with Judy Chicago in 2004 called Envisioning the Future. 70 participating artists were divided into their various mediums and I was accidentally placed in the “sculpture” group. After 30+ years as a painter I was at a loss of what I could or would create for the project. Over the course of several months I taught myself mold making and produced some 3D work of which I was very pleased. The project was more than just my entry into 3D work it also deepened my need for context and social responsibility in my work and contributed to a sense of commitment to a strong personal voice.