The Art of Barbie

Minneapolis-based multi-crafter and artist Michelle Brusegaard created photos that make Barbie more human than her 11.5-inch height and infamous proportions suggest.

Michelle sees Barbie “more as discarded object than revered plaything.” Now that the Bratz have dethroned the once-reigning doll, the series seems to hint at a gal contemplating an unknown next stage of life. Each is just $15.

You feel something’s not right beyond her feet, in skirt or legwarmer

There are many shots of her clothes, store-bought and this homemade gingham

Admittedly not Barbie proper, this doll sofa suggests faded glamour-in-waiting

Glamour, plastic and pathos

Comments (11)

I love Barbie's. I believe that peach dress hanging from the line is from the Peaches N Cream Barbie. I loved that dress!!

posted by Nikita on July 29th 2008 at 6:47am
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I totally had that Peaches and Cream Barbie!
These are hilariously wonderful. Thanks for the post!

posted by hessilou on July 29th 2008 at 6:53am
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Peaches n Cream Barbie was my FIRST Barbie (of many). I saw that dress and it made me smile. Great post!

posted by BmoreKate on July 29th 2008 at 7:27am
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I was thinking the exact same - Peaches n Cream Barbie! ...great now I have the commercial stuck in my head.

posted by valleyval on July 29th 2008 at 7:28am
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I love that top photo! I'm guilty of still wearing Barbie logo clothes. I even made jewelry from Barbie's accessories to wear with my Barbie clothing.

Maybe I should start selling things like that :)

posted by iheartmini on July 29th 2008 at 7:30am
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I bought the Peaches N Cream photo. I just had to! Brought WAY too many memories back not to!!

posted by Nikita on July 29th 2008 at 7:34am
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Um, this might be a stupid comment, but I don't really get the picture with all the Barbie legs and then (I'm assuming) Ken feet on the other side. What is it suggesting?

posted by somuchbetter on July 29th 2008 at 8:08am
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I did a much naughtier version of this for a college project, which was later published in the March 2008 issue of German Cosmo. Meh.

posted by samantha9484 on July 29th 2008 at 9:33am
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The pictures shot from behind her head and of the legs seems rather creepily fetishistic from my perspective. It reminds me of a very old John Cleese bit I saw in a book (in a sequence of photos) where he grows uncomfortably enamored of his child's doll and does something embarrassing and disturbing to the doll.

posted by Orchid64 on July 29th 2008 at 3:17pm
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thanks to everyone for the comments! the "body shots" of the barbies were taken in 2005, when I was doing a series of paintings and photos that were sort of like choose your own adventure narratives. so the ken legs are just there create a dynamic situation in a still life, so it could be that ken's oppressive, if you' like, or it could just be that there was always only one ken doll in a sea of barbies and skippers....

posted by MichelleBrusegaard on July 29th 2008 at 6:51pm
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There is always only one ken doll. It's a weird thing. I always wanted more, but never got any.

I hate Bratz. They are the, "let's teach our kids to be sluts" dolls.

posted by Avinony on September 7th 2008 at 10:14pm
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