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BJDs and unskilled modifications

Jul 12, 2009

    1. I've modified two out of three of my dolls (My first doll with some mobility mods and my second is a wacky-extreme makeover) and honestly, it isn't so hard. My Resinsoul Li absolutely couldn't sit for anything, so I carved out her leg wells a bit. Then I wanted to do a suwarikko mod on her. And you know what? It turned out perfectly fine. These were the very first two mods i'd ever done, and two of the most extreme (individually). I wouldn't say in any way that I've ruined my doll. She can actually move her legs now! I mean, if I wanted a doll who could move that much, I'd have to either buy mobility joint thighs (which Resinsoul doesn't offer for the Li body) or buy one of the Volks Suwarikko bodies and hope for the best. Either way would really be much more difficult and too expensive compared to a 25 dollar dremmel tool. Plus, i like the idea of holding my doll and thinking "I did something with this, and it was good."
       
    2. I like doll modification. If an owner decides to mod their doll then they have the right to do so, regardless of their skill level. These dolls are meant to be customized. I do not believe an unskilled modder is 'ruining' their dolls if they mess up, everyone has to start somewhere and mods are hard to perfect. There is usually someone out there that can 'fix' a doll or create something from the unskilled modification. I see a ton of mod that I can't stand but I just ignore them.

      I'm okay with someone touching up/messing up a custom faceup so long as they admit to it and point out what they've changed. The customizer does not own someone else's doll just because they blushed it or gave it a faceup.
       
    3. People need to practice to improve and it's not my business to say what anyone does with their property. These dolls are pretty, but it's not like they're alive or something.

      Well, occasionally I cringe a little when people mess up their dolls with a method a minute of searching would have told you is a bad idea (like sharpie face-ups)... but unskilled work, it might not be as pretty as it could be, but we all gotta start somewhere.
       
    4. Well.. even with fine art, an owner is allowed to do what they want with it. It may not be worth anything after some mucks with it, but that's up to the owner. An owner can do what they like with the things they own. Others may not approve, but it is not up to others.

      ALSO--there are all kinds of art! There is folk art and primitive art that are meant to be rough and crude. So... what one person regards as art is not always what another person thinks of as art. And that's all fine because it's not up to anyone to judge what another person wants to do with their dolls.

      ... Now, I may not like what another person does... but it's still none of my business and I don't have to go mouthing off about it. As the saying goes, everyone has an opinion...

      Altering an artist's work happens. AND it is not uncommon that the artist does not want to be associated with art that is altered (it is no longer their work as they created it, after all, and if it looks bad, why SHOULD they want to be associated with it???!!!). BUT, again, the owner is allowed to do what they want. They can wipe the faceup entirely. Faceups are not forever--even if they are done by a famous artist. Everyone knows that they can wear off and may have to be re-done. And if the owner wants to have it re-done, that is also known. Faceup artists know this can happen. They may not like it, but that is just the way things work. They get paid and that is the end of it. They have no more say. Same when you buy a doll from someone. They may hate what you do with it, but it is no longer their problem after they sell.

      Companies know they have no control after they sell their dolls. Some companies TRY to control things (Volks tried, some other companies, too), but they really can't. It's just impossible.

      Even if a doll is entirely changed, it is still, at the very basic, made from that particular sculpt. It will be associated, no matter what. And it is still the right thing to name the company and sculpt, since it is what the doll is. It's like listing the media used for a painting... it's good to know.

      A company may be bothered by what owners do, but there is nothing they can do about it, unless something is against the law... (like taking the doll and making re-casts or something like that). There is nothing against the law in modding the doll. Companies get their money and that is the end of the deal. They know modding is a part of what people do with bjds, so if they hated it, they probably wouldn't be making bjds and selling bjds!
       
    5. I think you should be less black and white in your approach.

      In your depiction, the doll is the art, but the doll can also be a canvas. These dolls are made to be customized. However, when one learns to paint, their first painting is not going to come out a masterpiece.

      If you think of the doll as art, then we should buy them and leave them as is. Just like other non-customizable dolls.

      I think ts not art OR canvas...but both., so...you cant really look at it as destroying art. At the point in time, the doll is being used as the canvas.
       
    6. The way I see it (and this is my personal opinion) is that BJD's aren't necesssarily art, as they are a customizable object. When people buy a doll, it's up to them to decide what to do with it. Although I can understand that some dollmakers don't like to see their work modified - a lot of work went into creating it - the fact is that once money has been exchanged, that particular copy of the sculpt no longer belongs to the original artist.

      Am I bothered by unskilled modifications? No. Nobody starts out as a master artist; we all have to learn. Good mods enhance the sculpt. And personally, I'm thrilled to see what other people do with their dolls!