Three works that play with the idea of influence and expectation.

A quick foray into the ‘pink’ toy aisle of any department store is an enlightening discovery into the marketing forces behind the common interest of every girl, her doll. Each of these three works notes historical feminine reference (the background ‘iconic’ doiley/napkin - kept ‘forever perfect’ in hope chests) and of course, future reference - perfect plastic feminine representation, the doll.

Untitled I - portrays a young girl and her perfect baby doll. As soon as marketably possible, young girls are given baby dolls to nurture and mother. Girls are expected to want to fulfill this role. (the doll used here was one of two - the blurb on the packaging read ‘your child’s very own identical newborn twins!’)

Untitled II - a double portrait - has hints of being a historical portrayal, if it were not for the headless, armless, splayed legged doll. The doll is anonymous and defenceless. It is also sexually highly stylised, conical breasts, tiny waist, swayed and tilted bottom and long thin legs. Her pose alludes to a sexual expectation that society has manufactured her for. By ‘society’, I am referring to the media’s interpretation of female sexuality.

Untitled III - a deceptive image in that the doll begins to look like an award, something achievable that this very ordinary girl may one day hope to represent. Indeed, plastic can now make a woman’s chest look exactly like her doll’s. The only ‘giveaway’ that perhaps the doll is not so compliant, is in the slight movement of her leg. She is as much a captive of circumstance as perhaps the little girl is.

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