Un-fun Dolls

Dolls have always been among the most favorite children’s toys and made an integral and vital part of any culture. The basic notions of human relations and complicated world order are passed on to a child with the help of all sorts of toys. As for traditional folk dolls, for centuries they were means of passing sacred values and knowledge to the following generation

Russian Nesting Dolls or matryoshka dolls

African Dolls When the concept of "doll" is considered in the context of African culture, they are usually not children's playthings, but rather objects used in ritual and religion. African dolls are used to teach, and entertain, they are supernatural intermediaries, and they are manipulated for ritual purposes ie. Fertility ceremonies

Guatemala Worry Dolls

Bottlecap and Wood Made in Kenya

Folk Dolls The Russian folk doll boasts rich traditions and history. There was time when dolls saved people’s lives by replacing human beings as victims in rites of sacrifice.

Lifelike or anatomically correct dolls are used by health professionals, medical schools and social workers to train doctors and nurses in various health procedures or investigate cases of sexual abuse of children.

Artist Hans Bellmer made surrealistic dolls that had interchangeable limbs in 1930s and 1940s Germany as opposition to the Nazi party's idolization of a perfect Aryan body.

East Village artist Greer Lankton became famous in the 1980s for her theatrical window displays using lifesize dolls and took the art of doll making to a new level, creating distressed, drug addicted, anorexic and mutant dolls charged with an edgy sexualityGreer Lankton Go

Shary Boyle Canadian artist interned at Royal Doulton

Chris Sickles

Your Challenge You are going to create an un-fun toy with a specific purpose (other than comforting kids) You might create a ‘recycling doll’ out of recyclables, a ‘way of the future doll’ made with computer parts, or a good luck doll made out of lottery tickets. You doll might represent a concept like ‘loneliness’ or chaos’. Use your sketchbook to plan and create thumbnails Use any materials you desire. Think outside the box! Create an environment for your sculpture. Where does your doll belong? What types of objects would surround your doll? Photograph your doll. Make sure that the lighting is adequate. Open your image in Photoshop or Paint.net and crop the image. Other small alterations may be made to enhance your photo. Photographs should be submitted to Ms. MacFarlane’s Inbox Due date: ( sculpture and photograph) Thursday May 27th.

Marking Scheme Developed concept 3pts Use of materials 3pts Aesthetically appealing sculpture 3pts Environment 3pts Photograph (adequate lighting, appropriate angle, etc.) 3 pts