Dolls of Montmartre

By Constance Doyle
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During Christmas time, I met my friend and great photographer Constance Doyle. It became a kind of tradition between us. I live in London and she lives in Dublin  and Paris is our meeting point (like for last christmas). For 4 years, we have been walking in the capital city, me toddling off my too high heels, she, carrying camera in the hand, determined to capture ephemeral moments of beauty that the City of Light can offer.   

http://www.constancedoyle.co.uk/

Au Moulin Rouge, La danse, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1890)  les buveurs d’absinthe Jean Béraud, (1908).

This time we decided to explore Montmartre, old popular Paris, with its cabarets, cafés, street artists that inspired my red corset costume with dolls heads surrounded by black lace.  

I wanted to create this character inspired by accordionist, barrel organ player, an atemporal girl escaped from a Toulouse-Lautrec painting, artist and bohemian, between Edith Piaf and Mistinguett. 

Yes I have an old accordion in my attic, don't ask me why! 

"Par son apparence, la poupée rappelle l'humain. Ces imitations de personnes qui ressemblent à des totems jouent un rôle particulier, à la fois confidentes et ennemies." Pierre Deshusses 

 Phillip Toledano is an experimental research scientist studying fantastic and absurd freaks. He sedates the creatures and removes them from their cages to pose them for archival photos.

Image © Phillip Toledano. 

Image © Phillip Toledano. 

Image © Phillip Toledano. 

I WANT THIS:

Jonathan Adler, Barbie Sunburst Mirror.

Edward Kienholz, 

'The Future as Afterthought' (1962). Paint and resin on plastic and rubber doll parts with sheet metal, tricycle pedals, and wood. Onnasch Collection. 

 I've seen this piece at the Hauser & Wirth’s London gallery  in Picadilly. I found interesting to see the work of artist who use dolls for political purpose, denouncing the effect of nuclear bomb, where I feel my "art" is not really connected with any committed message.

"Pour définir le monde où se retrouvent ces poupées, on pourrait supposer qu'il n'y a pas d'enfants en regard de leur existence; telle serait en quelque sorte la condition première de leur émergence; le monde des enfants est passé. Avec elles, la poupée est enfin déprise de la compréhension, de la participation, du désir et du chagrin de l'enfant; elle est devenue autonome, elle a grandi, vielle avant l'heure, acceptant toute la part d'irréel de sa propre existence.  Les poupées de cire de Lotte Pritzel 

My grandmother rocks with her new barbie necklace! 

glittery barbies for christmas

Even my cat like wearing my creations 

How to make the gnome of my parents's garden even more kitsch? 

Christmas present for my 2 years old cousins, customised princess heels with barbie eyes! 

Last but not least, my friend Simona realised this great series about "Friends as Vegetables, asked me as a "Portrait Chinois"  If you were a vegetable which one would you be? " I answered  without really thinking bout it : "An onion  because it has a lot of layers, is it cheap but make any kind of dishes more exiting" 

I am wearing one of my favourite purple dress which is actually a theatre costume.  

By Simona Zemaite

"I am interested in color and geometry, simplicity and structure of everyday imagery. I consider omnipresent audio-visual surroundings to be my main medium. Everything I do is documentary." Simona Zemaityte