Mariel Clayton, 1980, South Africa, is a self-taught photographer who works and lives in Canada. She discovered the world of miniature items in a Tokyo toy shop. Since then she has been photographing dolls to tell her stories. Through the internet she buys and collects the miniature items she needs for her photography shoots. Her images are often brutal, full of sex and violence, yet display and reflect on the dark side of the western society. She calls herself a “Doll photographer with a subversive sense of humour.” The first image she took with a barbie was a story in which she commited suicide because Ken had dumped her for another man. It was Mariel’s wishful thinking of the end of what she believes to be “an evil influence”. Over the course of several years she has taken an amazing amount of staged photographs involving the barbie dolls.
Ontario artist Mariel Clayton isn’t the first social commentator to decry Barbie’s negative effect on society, and she definitely won’t be the last. But she just might be the most grisly.
Her art features Barbie in myriad situations that would put Mattel in a tizzy. Sex, bondage, suicide, murder — it’s all there, in tiny detail.
Why Barbie?
« Because I hate Barbie. I intensely dislike the stereotype that the “ideal” female fits no current authentic female form. You can’t get to be Barbie without an ocean’s worth of peroxide, 27 plastic surgeries and a complete lack of intelligence, so it irritates me immensely that this is the toy of choice women give to their daughters to emulate.
At least with boys’ toys like GI Joe and Action Man, these were characters that had personality, depth and purpose, worthy of real imaginative storytelling. Barbie has nothing except clothes and “being a girl,” but what is being a girl? Being a vapid shell with tits up to your ears? Playing in your kitchen or changing outfits for the umpteenth time so “Ken” will think you’re pretty?
My first picture with Barbie was actually of her committing suicide in the tub, after Ken had dumped her for another man — my wishful thinking on the end of evil influence. I’m not sure why it ended up being Barbie killing Ken, if I am to be honest — I think it’s because I find it really damn funny. Behind the vacuous perpetual lipsticked-smile and soulless eyes lurks the black heart of the true sociopath, just like in real life. I think it finally makes the doll interesting, and I like that contrast between saccharine sweet and pure malevolence.
I think women (and men) need to stop worrying about “isms” and suck it up, take responsibility for your own life and how you deal with it, regardless of what gender you happen to be.
It may seem weird that I call myself an anti-feminist when I create pictures that are definitely cruelty towards men, but I’m not doing it with some sort of agenda or social message. I just think it’s funny: sweet little perfect Barbie, the psychopath.
My biggest portion of feedback comes from men — they seem to “get” the humor of it. I’ve had few nasty emails, all from women, calling me disturbed and unbalanced, recommending I seek therapy et cetera, which I find really interesting.
I’m not out to send a message. I’m just out to have a bit of fun and share it with others. »
Mariel Clayton
http://www.thephotographymarielclayton.com/
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