Art dolls are dolls created as works of fine art as opposed to toys.
Art dolls, unlike modern toy dolls, are not mass-produced but rather hand-crafted. [1] Historical dolls, such as kachina dolls and worry dolls, are forms of traditional folk art. In the 20th century, artists such as Hans Bellmer and Louise Bourgeois used dolls as a medium for artistic expression and to promote messages. Bellmer created sexually explicit ball-jointed dolls inspired by wooden dolls from the sixteenth century. [2] Modern art dolls are popular among art collectors. [3]
2008's Melbourne Fringe Festival featured the work of Rachel Hughes and curator Sayraphim Lothian, amongst others. [4] The elaborate ball-jointed ceramic dolls of Marina Bychkova fetch prices from $5,000 to $45,000, and are collected by the likes of Louis Vuitton designers. [5] In 2010, Facebook banned images of an art doll by Bychkova posted by Sydney jeweller Victoria Buckley; included were images of a semi-naked doll used to display jewellery in her shop window. [5] Eco-designer Ryan Jude Novelline created a commemorative art doll from a vintage Barbie recognizing marriage equality in the United States in June 2015. [6]
Media related to Doll art and artists at Wikimedia Commons