Art doll

Art dolls are dolls created as works of fine art as opposed to toys.
History
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]
Selected examples
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]
See also
References
- ^ "The Art Doll: A Form of Art You Should Add to Your Collection". HuffPost. 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Sims, Nora. "Exploring the birth of Art Dolls". By Gifted Hands. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "The Art Doll: A Form of Art You Should Add to Your Collection". HuffPost. 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Oh, you inscrutable doll". The Age. September 20, 2008.
- ^ a b Moses, Asher (July 5, 2010). "Now Facebook bans doll nipples". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Η Barbie γιορτάζει τον γάμο των ομοφυλόφιλων [Barbie Celebrates Gay Marriage], pathfinder.gr (in Greek), June 29, 2015, archived from the original on June 29, 2015, retrieved June 29, 2015
External links
 Media related to Doll art and artists at Wikimedia Commons
 Media related to Doll art and artists at Wikimedia Commons