Dolls, 2007

Raffaella Cortese Gallery, Milan

Dolls, mannequins, masks, wigs and costumes are just some of the accoutrements that feature in the unsettling work of Destiny Deacon, Zoe Leonard, Maria Marshall and Laurie Simmons. Appearing as central protagonists, dolls induce poignant, amusing and eerie scenarios: mise- en-scenes that reconstruct a world of childhood fantasies. Whether a repository of trauma or comforting, dolls can act as transitional objects and a source of comfort during parental absence. When we see a doll alone, it represents loss, suggesting that there is a child somewhere feeling bereft and distressed. Moreover, aspects of the child’s self are projected onto it as an extension of her reality.