Personal Information

Full Name

Ernesto Padró-Campos

Artist Bio

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ernesto plays with dolls and will beat anyone who dares to make fun of him or his playmates.

Artist Statement

In the process of writing about the fashion doll and styling and photographing it, I have concluded that the beauty unearthed in doll photography comes from the experience of recognizing my own humanity in these vinyl forms. Portraits and family photos have captivated me always for the sweet and sour memories that these trigger. Consequently, I wonder, why can’t dolls, which are nothing but representations of the human race, express the same feelings? Can these photos of dolls confront us with the same pain, the same joy, the same sense of sorrow or bliss? Can they bring to us the same catharsis? By capturing these “moments of reality in an inanimate realm”, I aim to connect two points in chronological time – to build a bridge between them- and create an experience that is both finite and eternal, banal and transcendental.

My desire has always been to see dolls not only as pristine and well-preserved documentations of a past era, but also as actively engaged individuals in a moment of life. As children we are capable of this type of animation or soul giving and derive immense satisfaction from these instances of creation, as if perhaps, we were playing master creator and giving life. My photography does not present reality but aims to transform it. Consequently, the doll becomes a real person with dreams and desires, disappointments and failures. Granted, he or she is perfectly coiffed and impeccably dressed, but who knows what lies behind the pretty façade? Are dolls mere playthings for children? What connections remain between toy and its owner once the child becomes an adult? When no one is watching, what happens in a dollhouse? What little dramas develop in those miniaturized enclaves, closed to human eyes?

History

Member for

15 years 8 months