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Fine Artists who use/take inspiration from dolls?

Oct 8, 2012

    1. (Sorry if this is in the wrong area! :))

      I'm currently in my third year at university studying fine art. I got my first doll in April this year, and over the summer I worked on her outfits and took many photographs of her. I want to use my summer work to create more work for university to show in my degree show.

      I'm on a tricky course, though. Last year, I did watercolour paintings of a character from a story of mine. My teachers didn't like it and said I would fail the year. I created certain parts of the character in 3D sculpture and did some digital paintings and eventually ended up passing the year.

      With my dolls, clothed in my homemade dresses and photographed by me, I plan to question what fine art really is. I will question how a piece of work should be made: that it can be simply made because the artist gains enjoyment from it, and that aesthetics are the main purpose of the piece of work. My dolls represent my ideals of beauty, and my work alone is made for me. Maybe somewhere along the way I will compare my blonde, pink princess-style doll with a Barbie, and what they both represent. These are the points I will be making during my third year.

      I also have to write an essay which relates to my work, so I will be using these ideas in it. My problem is that I don't know of any artists: photographers, sculptors mainly - who use dolls (any dolls, not just BJDs). Or an artist who focuses on aesthetics - or one who uses barbies dolls.

      Here is the most recent photograph of my work so far. For some reason, I cannot add a picture so this is simply a link to the image:

      https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/545403_267098316745197_1995928670_n.jpg

      So please, if you know of any artists you can suggest to me, I would be really grateful. It would also be nice just to share artist's works so we can all see and fawn over them :o
       
      #1 Taetira, Oct 8, 2012
    2. There are a lot of artists who use dolls as inspiration for their artwork, or paintings. Hans Bellmer was a photographer/artist who used dolls in the '60s. Modern sculptor Hiroko Igeta. And there are a lot of modern painters who use dolls in their work. Mark Ryden as a pretty popular one. Lori Earley also does pop-surrealism with doll inspired figures. There are lots of others, I can't think of any names at the moment, but I'm sure others here can.

      Closer to home, I consider a lot of the artists I see around here, and on flickr to be fine artists. Have you checked out Gallery+ here? It's full of amazing work!
       
      #2 orphansparrow, Oct 9, 2012
    3. The very well known Cindy Sherman. I saw an installation of hers, years ago that was absolutey grotesque, with injured and maimed baby dolls. She went on to do a second series in the 1990s that had more dolls, including sex dolls.
       
      #3 sakuraharu, Oct 9, 2012
    4. Since I'm not studying fine art but art history/theory, I'm not entirely sure what these classes fully entail or expect but since you mentioned that you used several mediums and you also need to write essays, it sounds like they want substance in a piece or a piece that has something to say. And since you mentioned that your teachers were going to fail you on your watercolors of your character, it sounds like maybe it's not relate-able, too personal, and would be something that is hard to sell or get noticed. It sounds like that idea would have been better off in a book along with your story or something. I'm not bashing you or anything but what it looks like you're trying to do (show your ideal of beauty) is "l'art pour l'art" or "art for art's sake". It's a very modernist idea, a very old idea and nowadays in the post modern era, art usually has something to say about our culture or art itself (meta art and anti-art). I'm not saying people can't make art just to make art anymore but that isn't going to get very far in the art world (unless the post-post modern ideal is going to be a rebellion of that and kicks me in the ass later). A pretty picture is just one out of millions of other pretty pictures all getting lost in the shuffle. Of course you can use your dolls in your medium (and as mentioned, there are other artists that have) and since you want to show off the clothes you made, maybe you might want to talk about our consumer culture (or even a foreign consumer culture since these are abjds) or something like that (just a suggestion)? And of course, the pictures would need to reflect what you're saying.
       
      #4 Miu Len, Oct 9, 2012
    5. Orphansparrow - thanks for the suggestions!!! I've never heard of Gallery+ before so I'll definitely check that out :D

      Sakuraharu - Cindy Sherman's work is really bizarre... in a good way. When I first saw her work I was really surprised and in awe at the same time XD

      Miu Len - I don't take that as a bashing at all, in fact, I find it very helpful. You've basically summed everything up. My teacher said something very similar today - it's just very difficult, you know? What I consider fine art isn't what they consider fine art. I'll definitely take your suggestions on board, thanks for being so helpful!

      Thanks everyone :D
       
      #5 Taetira, Oct 9, 2012
    6. No problem. But out of curiosity, what do you plan to do with this degree? (Again, nothing against you or what you want to do.) But by the sounds of it, I think going to school for this isn't really your thing. (I'm not saying stop going to school but I hope you find your way there and be open to the things your teachers are saying.) When you say that what they think is art isn't the same as what you think is art, it seems like what you want to do is more suited to freelance work. I mean, it doesn't take a degree to make pictures for your own enjoyment. (And look at Etsy or DeviantArt. I'll bet 1/1000 people there actually has an art degree but they do what they like and maybe get commissions. The fine/high art/art school system has been smashed a long time ago.) What the art schools really wants is to pop out the next Andy Warhol. I would think that a student going to get a fine art degree would have an idea for their thesis and a reoccurring theme in their works all throughout college. Honestly, I shouldn't have given you a suggestion. I meant to just point you in the right direction. I can say "consumer culture" so easily because that is what I'm into but without a real interest in more/other sociology work, this will only work for you this one time but then you need to find your way again.
       
      #6 Miu Len, Oct 9, 2012
    7. *_* You've read me like a book. I've never liked being told what I can and cannot do with my creativity. College was excellent because there were no boundaries but university has put some in place and it disturbs me. I initially went to university to get a degree so I can get a job with the skills that I learnt at university but I have learnt no skills and all they have told me so far is that my work isn't to their liking.

      I really appreciate your suggestion and I agree with you completely. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.
       
      #7 Taetira, Oct 9, 2012
    8. Oh I see. The school system is different where you are. It appears that by the time you get to university, they expect you have learned the skills already or in college. Makes sense. xD

      No problem again and good luck. I hope you find your own way. :)
       
      #8 Miu Len, Oct 9, 2012
    9. One thing I wanted to point out was that Hans Bellmer started creating dolls in the 30's in Germany in large part as a reaction to the Nazi part stuff that was happening around him. I think as Miu Len as pointed out, that this activity is a good example of art created that is in dialogue to events happening around you. Creativity for its own sake is a valid and important part of the world at large but Universities tend to see their programs as training for the job market. A large part of that is the ideas that drive the contemporary art market which are driven by art being a discursive process, in dialogue with some other thing. The unfortunate part is that the world is larger than this but schools have taken this approach to teaching. A good example is the movie "Art School Confidential" where a young art student finds that his belief in strong technique has little place in college.
      The other often unpleasant part of school is that due to be a training ground for the job market is that it becomes a testing ground to whether or not you can knuckle under to the forces of your employer.

      I think the key is to learn to read what is required of you for a specific class or teacher and try to create something that will fulfill that requirement. Sometimes trying something new will feed back into what interests you and you will learn new things and develop. As most artists find, when you get out into the world, you will have to do things to make money and then you will create your art on the side. I have friends who are painters or photographers who live a grind of doing digital graphics for ad companies and then make art and have shows on their own time. My career doesn't have anything to do with my art and I like that separation.
      The important thing is to not get discouraged and stay true to yourself and not let the compromises that come with society get you down. And again, be open to new things. Good luck!

      Also, another artist to check out is Ryoichi Yoshida, he was inspired by Hans Bellmer and started creating dolls for photography in the 70's and 80's. This became an artistic scene in Japan and it had a lot of dark impulses. Those BJD's were made from wood or plaster. Fascinating work.
       
      #9 dollhausen, Nov 12, 2012
    10. ...and thaaat is why I quit art school...well,that and the fact that my professor kicked me out and told me not to come back, but aside from that, Ive grown and explored so much more as an artist after I quit art school. Maybe it's just where I went, though. AWESOME for you for sticking to it though!

      I love using dolls as inspiration, because I have like..a line fettish. When i see gorgeous curves or angles, my hands just itch, wanting to draw the line on paper. And dolls have the most gorgeous curves, especially the indentation of the spine and the curve from the waist to the hip...droool...

      ANYWAY, I think I have an artbook somewhere in my stack of reference that talks about alternative art subjects, and I'm SURE there was a doll photographer/print maker in there. I'll go see if I can find it!
       
      #10 Syri, Nov 12, 2012
    11. #11 renee_chan, Nov 12, 2012
    12. I hope no one is under the impression that I'm against art schools though, just for the record. I think it is very important to understand the history and theory of art in order to make an impact in the art world. On the subject of art for art's sake, that is a modernist ideal, and in the post-modern era art made with that ideal would be seen as out of date.
       
      #12 Miu Len, Nov 12, 2012
    13. I was having troubles along these lines in high school art IB... I'm good on a technical level, but coming up with "meaningful" pieces like you see in museums, etc, just isn't something I'm good at. That's why I decided not to go to art school afterwards. I like illustration, anime art, dolls, etc, but that's a different area than what my teacher was looking for. I almost went into animation, but it was way too expensive. So for now, art is just my hobby.

      I guess my suggestion might be to focus on doing what they are looking for, and just enjoy your doll/stories as a hobby. You can do whatever kind of art you want once you graduate, though!
       
      #13 Yukamina, Nov 12, 2012