Personal Information

Full Name

Mary Huizinga

Artist Bio

Mary Huizinga

Email: bobaloo3@mindspring.com

Born Chicago, Illinois

Selected Group Exhibitions:
Altered Barbie show, San Francisco, 2009

Babylon Lexicon, New Orleans Book Fair,
November 2007

Red Ink Gallery, Altered Barbie Show,
San Francisco, August 2007

Pigman Gallery, “Rise Up! Unite! Rejoice”,
San Francisco, October, 2004

San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, “Freedom of
Impression,” San Francisco, May 2004.

Meridian Gallery, “Proofs of Life,” San Francisco,
November 2002

Education Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois, Mathematics and Computer Science.

Art classes, City College of San Francisco, 1998-2005, in
varius media, including painting, drawing, printmaking,
bookmaking, and letterpress printing.

Affiliations Graphic Arts Workshop, San Francisco, 2000- present.
Treasurer, 2001-2006.

Artist Statement

Artist’s Statement:

Barbie was not part of my growing-up years. By the time she made her debut, I had already given up dolls. I admit to not understanding all of the fuss. And what was this business about buying a new doll every time you wanted her to have a new outfit? We just bought new clothes – or our moms made some. (Obviously, it was a clever marketing strategy by Mattel.)

The desire to satirize her, to poke holes in her ‘perfection’, is an easy one to understand. I began by the chance finding of a one-legged, pink-sunsuit-clad blonde, and a few days later, found a blue checked ‘denim’ jacket. When the jacket was added to the doll, she looked a stylistic fright. From that emerged a cardboard ‘home’, collaged with fashion pictures of right legs (the right was missing) , and the legend ‘Homeless Amputee Barbie”. That was the beginning, and I thought, the end of it, until I discovered the great SF Altered Barbie show.

There followed a”Portrait of the Artist’s B*rbie” (an homage to Whistler’s mother), and later, because of a friend’s suggestion, “B.Y.O.B.” –for “Bury Your Own Barbie”, who comes replete with coffin, gravestone, flowers, coffin nails, and a shovel for the burial plot.

For this year, the finding of a free candy savings bank on the street has lead me to create
“B.Y.O.B. II” - Build Your Own B*rbie. Head, arms, legs, torsos, pelvises, feet, hands, and a few items of clothing…everything needed to purchase and construct your own beauty (well, a little glue might be helpful.) Note to future owner: parts are too large, mostly, to be dispensed when a coin is inserted and the handle turned. You may, however, retrieve a piece through the top, with the aid of a screwdriver.

Mary Huizinga

History

Member for

14 years 8 months