In a sublimely detailed work called Doll House, artist Abir Kar blurs the line between reality and fantasy as we see what must possibly be a little girl’s room full of stuffed toys, a pink laptop, pubescent clutter, a wall ornament that says ‘Drama Queen,’ and a heart-holding teddy bear in a cage. Is this the inside of a Doll House or a room modelled after one? How does the girl (or girls) see herself (themselves) in the context of what the room suggests? Does she inhabit a doll house in her head? Or does she just play with one? Even though there isn’t one visible in her space?
Dolls evoke many connotations today. They are projections of fantasies, sometimes playful, sometimes unhealthy. They set the imagination free and sometimes trap it in a stereotype about body image, fragile self-worth and objectification. In Bangalore’s Gallery Sumukha’s forthcoming show Dolls (on from March 2 to March 19), various artists interpret the meaning and impact of dolls on our consciousness through paintings, sculpture, photography and new media. And through wit and irony, pathos and insight.The idea behind the show (curated by Marta Jakimowicz)among other things was to explore the imposition of plastic perfection on both growing girls and grown women who are put by the media and advertising industries into stifling boxes. The most obvious reflection of this would be the Barbification of body image and whether we are supposed to reflect dolls or are they supposed to reflect us?
Even if a doll is just a toy, it is a subtle comment on how much or how little we have. Some children play with just the ideas of dolls, others have real ones.
In Surekha’s work She’s A Kid, you see the dichotomy between reality and aspiration where a South-Indian girl child in traditional clothing is cradling a Barbie. Will she want to change her reality and body image to match her doll? KTS Saint’s Spiderman and Puppet also plays with the idea of a super-hero on a string. How heroic can be a super hero if he is webbed in by our expectations?
The show promises to be an interesting one with the participation of Ayisha Abraham, Barbara Ash, Archana Hande, Y Jayamma, Abir Karmakar, Pushpamala N, Jasmeen Patheja, Princess Pea, Anthony Roche, KT Shivaprasad, Surekha, Chintan Upadhyay.
Gallery Sumukha is at:
24/10 BTS Depot Road, Wilson Garden, Bengaluru 560027
T: 22292230 / 41207215
Reema Moudgil is the author of Perfect Eight. (http://www.flipkart.com/perfect-eight-reema-moudgil-book-9380032870) . More on Story Wallahs. Also check other books by Unboxed Writers in our Store.
That picture has so much depth, Reema. A real doll holding a plastic version. Her look saying, “Do I look prettier than her in this picture?” and much more, and much else, everytime I see it. And I must say, I am addicted to such features on Art, thanks to your thoughts that capture through words, that which has been captured through the lens!
In a country where every little girl is generically referred to as ‘gudiya’, it is indeed a question whether dolls are supposed to reflect us or we are supposed to reflect them. The assault of Barbie on innocent perceptions too provides ample food for thought, especially when two-year olds bow to peer pressure at playschool and discard their cute little baby-dolls and hanker after a Barbie …
Its interesting that our little brown girls are given blonde dollies that look like they fell off a Baywatch wagon…I wonder if anyone has asked the kids themselves what they think about their impossible firang dolls?
The picture reminds me of one of tagore’s beautiful writings,where the mother tells her chilld that she came into her life, the day she held her first doll!