I enjoy blurring the lines between commercial work and fine art. Communication is the root of everything we create. I believe my work should take on a socially-conscious medium.
Recently I finished a series of small mixed media pieces involving the Barbie Doll and its influence on children in America. The series was a social commentary on the pressures young girls live with growing up in a country obsessed with beauty and fitting in. Three pieces were accepted in an invitational exhibition at the Estel Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee entitled ‘Be A Doll.’
My proposed exhibition would be to expand on my already small series to include not only Barbie but her male counterpart – Ken; tackling male related issues facing young boys. Scale is a key element in my proposed exhibition. The current series is a more accurate representation of retail toy packaging. By increasing the scale to one foot by two feet, the new pieces would have a more profound presence in a gallery space.
By incorporating graphic design and photography in provocative ways, I am able to use my commercial experience to communicate social issues, including unwanted pregnancy, cancer, plastic surgery and male anxiety. A few titles of the new works include: “Mid-Life CRISIS KEN”, “Prostate CANCER KEN”, “CONDOMLESS KEN with Unwanted BABY BARBIE (a combo piece)”, “BRIDEZILLA BARBIE”, and “BOTOX BARBIE.”
My American Dream Barbie series will be created by photographing the iconic dolls in real-life situations, then the incorporation of custom toy packaging will be designed using Adobe Creative Suite software. The packaging will be applied to chipboard and affixed to large Masonite and wooden strips, giving the appearance of three dimensional toy packaging. In addition, Mylar plastic will be added to simulate the classic commercial packaging – allowing me to continue blurring the lines between commercial art and fine art.