The Jane Street Doll Collective has been meeting almost weekly for a good while now. Often, instead of actually creating, Emily, Chris and I simply discuss art, dolls, the creative process and so on. And, if you are an art doll artist, sooner or later, the question will come up: "What is a doll?" There are as many answers and opinions on that subject as there are dolls and artists themselves. Dolls are many things to me beyond being toys. Dolls, like any art form, do not have to be pretty or nice nor do they always make you feel good. After all, who hasn't looked at porcelain doll on the shelf in the local antique mart, and just plain got creeped out by those blank, staring faces?!
As works of art, I use them to make a social statements, and to express the human condition, either my own or that of some segment of society. Dolls also provide an outlet for all the imaginary, playful creatures that dance through my head to come to life. They become tools for self transformation and self understanding. My inner child is continually amused and my creative soul is well fed by exploring "the doll".
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