In my blogs over the course of these nine weeks, I have proposed a lot of questions. Questions about art and society, and even life in general. I would like to continue with proposing more questions while also sharing a viewpoint.
This all began as I was pondering the subject of "high" art again. I was thinking about paper dolls and how they are considered feminist art. Even the inspiring artist, who I wrote on a while ago, Cindy Sherman, made a line of work of paper doll making. I know that a lot of contemporary artists in the 1970's were into exploring this form of art making. But then I was thinking about how something that a girl plays with as a child (a commercial craft) can then later be used to make art (a high skill).
I have interacted with paper dolls myself. I had many paper dolls books that allowed me to color and or draw and design the cloths to dress my paper figure in. Barbie and Disney Princesses were among my favorites. Recently, I find myself very interested in the concept of a paper doll. This also ties in with my blog about women's roles.
Girls see many different "roles" as they watch their parents/guardians, teachers, and other adults. But they also see their peers. How their peers act, behave/misbehave, and where they fit in with these peers. Girls begin making associations that go with these "roles'' through the toys they play with. The outfits they choose to outwardly adorn their doll(s) are a way for them to further understand how there are different "looks." In a way, the doll(s) is a way for the little girl to be a caricature of each of these "roles." She learns which ones are desirable, attractive, tempting, needed, laughed at, weak, etc. Even paper dolls illustrate the same ideas.
There is also a hierarchy of dolls. A hierarchy that resembles a person's social status.
Rag dolls: lower social status, humble, worn out
Old "vintage" dolls: odd, weird, creepy
Baby dolls: domestic, homely, motherly
Cabbage Patch Dolls: also homely, and motherly, cutesy
Barbie Doll: pretty, socially integrated, successful, plastic
Polly Pocket: petite, cute, innocent
Bratz Dolls: live up to their name, diva, social celebrity
All of these are miniature microcosms of real life social circles. There is one "popular" girl and many other "friends." In movie terms, there is one main character or lead role and several supporting roles.
What is interesting to me is that these roles that little girls are observing have a long history of being made by a man. For centuries, men have been telling women who they are and who they should be. Even an industry that is supposed to be 'for' women is "targeting" women. Fashion, presumed by many to be a "girly" thing is filled with men who are telling women how to dress and how to look!
Girls become invested in this pretty image of life of which we hope to become a part of. But somewhere along the way, there has been a boy who has ripped or beaten up her pretty doll. The boy called it stupid. This is exactly what happens as a woman. A woman dresses for the "role(s)" she wants to play, but is not taken seriously for whatever reason and is beaten down and made to feel stupid by a man.
