Click an image to enlarge the gallery.
The “BARBIE© MAGIC REVEAL” Series
2007 – 2018, 24” x 18” each, Unique
Enamel, Paint Marker, Crayon, & Glitter Paint on Watercolor Paper
At first, when I began this series, I questioned whether Barbie would be too trite of a subject, but the marketing of the doll has become so pervasive that Barbie is a mythical icon, and an archetype of femininity that resonates with any viewer, and evokes the extremes emotions of love and hate.
These paintings are based on imagery appropriated from children’s Barbie© activity books. The original pages have assorted activities and directives, with sections where a child is supposed to use the “magic reveal” marker to expose the hidden image. Instead of following the instructions, or reveal the set imagery, I have added my own line drawing and tonal color, while subtracting nothing from the original.
The modifications are intended to further lend hyperbole to the figurative proportions and mores found within the activity book, resulting in a sinister warping of the authors’ intended content. The modified pre-printed pages have been enlarged as paintings in which the viewer is left questioning what is original, and what is truth.
These paintings are based on imagery appropriated from children’s Barbie© activity books. The original pages have assorted activities and directives, with sections where a child is supposed to use the “magic reveal” marker to expose the hidden image. Instead of following the instructions, or reveal the set imagery, I have added my own line drawing and tonal color, while subtracting nothing from the original.
The modifications are intended to further lend hyperbole to the figurative proportions and mores found within the activity book, resulting in a sinister warping of the authors’ intended content. The modified pre-printed pages have been enlarged as paintings in which the viewer is left questioning what is original, and what is truth.
