I began "playing" with the Barbie dolls a couple of years ago. Imagine, if you will, a fifty year old man seriously evaluating the various flavors of Barbies in the Redwood City Target. Surprisingly no one summoned the store security. arriving home I immediately took all her clothes off (this is sounding more and more troubling) and was soon taping a bent metal rod to the small of her back - so that she would stand up correctly, don't you see. ( You know, as I write this is begins to sound more and more like a rejected CSI script.)

Anyway. From this session emerged an image of Barbie I photoshoped into an eerily realistic looking image by taking out the plastic seams and joints, enhancing her skin tone and little else. I had this image printed on a large piece of banner material. The banner material made it pliable and sturdy. During this time I was taking a lighting course at CCSF. For a group assignment I took my group to the Tenderloin on successive Friday and Saturday nights. Equipped with the banner Barbie, a mobile flash unit and my Canon 1D Mk2 we prowled Polk Gulch approaching various people with the Barbie Banner and asking them to give me their response to it.

This image is the first one we made. The couple are from Ireland and had been in SF for a day or so when confronted by us - weiliding a naked banner of Barbie and asking them what they thought of it. It's so tender that their reaction was to cover the poor girl up.

These prints are 12" x 18" and the colors are lusciously gorgeous and rich printed on acid free, high rag paper (Epson Velvet Fine Art) with archival pigment inks. The prints from the show are matted in black matte and framed in black, 18 x 24 frames.