Kate Stilley, San Marino, CA
Growing up in LA, I understood that Barbie was important. And when I took this picture I loved the symbolism of her various stages of disintegration, right up against the ever-present palms of my childhood home. But now, after looking long and hard at the image – I finally see the diagonals that lead out of frame, away from her to other worlds, as if by criss-crossing time they could hold her in place forever.
I feel an ominous tension looking at this photo. Like the doll mallot will strike down at any moment.
I love dismembered Barbie art. Mostly because I was always decapitating my Barbies with the reasoning that it was a more innovative way to play with her. My friends thought this was creepy, but it’s reassuring to see that other people share the same creative thought I had when I was a kid.