I have long been interested in Barbie’s artistic potential as an ornament for texturally intricate, elaborately tiered wedding cakes, particularly since the heterosexual imperative and the patriarchal institution of compulsory marriage play such a huge role in her iconography and her wardrobe (c.f., the enormous volume of wedding dresses manufactured for her across the decades. Along wih the runway swimsuit and the ballroom gown, the wedding dress is THE iconic Barbie garb.) This piece was evolving in that direction, until I inadvertently popped off her head. Immediately, I was enchanted by the subversive power of her headlessness – and more than a little unnerved by the perpetually cheerful smile still emanating from her lips even as she cradled her elegantly coiffed severed head in her upraised left hand. From there, it was but a short leap to Marie Antoinette, whose image so compellingly represents the unchecked decadence, systemic corruption, and willful obliviousness to the perpetration of inequities that led to the French Revolution. By extension, this piece stands with the blossoming Occupy movement as an emblem of hope as well as an indictment of the rampant abuse of power and privilege on our planet.

NFS -- Collection of the Artist.