An appropriate warning on the main site page states: beware, my doctoring is not for the weak at heart.
Grotesque Cabaret is a unique and disturbing “doll surgery” lab, where porcelain skinned ball-jointed dolls get a curious makeover.
Upon seeing the fascinating detail, I immediately wondered what materials the artist uses…
Materials include: Milliput, Apoxie Sculpt. Rembrandt dry pastels, Tamiya and Hasegawa acrylic paints and associated products, Faber Castell artist watercolour pencils. We also find metal parts and assorted extra eyeballs.
Many of the gallery links have the dolls pictured in stages (plus incredible close ups), so you can see their evolution. I’ve shown some of the tamer ones, but if you enjoy grotesque doll mods, I encourage you to view the rest.
See the gallery here.
Baby Dolls of the past, pay homage to your predecessor: Thomas Edison’s talking doll, circa 1890.
If you’re not fiending for one of these dolls already, you can hear it speaking (what is supposedly a recitation of “Little Jack Horner”).
Sandra Arteaga’s one of a kind art dolls are amazing! Just the kind of sweet and sinister combo that so often strikes my fancy.
She also has plenty of 2D and mixed media projects.
Check out her beautiful blog and Etsy store.
Let’s see what’s clogging up my desktop thanks to my itchy trigger (a.k.a “right click”) finger this week…
I’m guessing I got these from Golden Age Comic Book Stories. Here’s a nice little head on a platter to whet your holiday appetite.
I’ve made a bunch of unique snow globes as gifts over the years, so even though Urban Outfitters chose a trendy object (other options could have included cupcakes, bacon and ninjas), I applaud unusual snow globes.
Halloween is over, but there is no excuse NOT to show this costume:
Atypik has some great geek treats…like these Rorschach coasters:
Could this really make me…a CHAMPION?
AMAZING photo by Lori Nix:
A gift fit for a president:
When I glanced at this photo, I really wished the queen were making a bold fashion statement. Turns out she was watching a 3D science presentation (which is arguably still pretty neat):
This doll by Sheri DeBow reminds me of my slightly goth days in college (I would have had solid black under that lace though…modest thing that I am).
Oh, and while we’re on the subject, how about a Robert Smith embroidered pillow?
I love the color and composition of this photo:
I saw this a few weeks ago at a baby’s first birthday party (not in a house, in a church rec room). At first I was calling him “Composite Jesus” because he is actually composed out of little pieces of religious scenery. But he could also be known as “Kenny Loggins Jesus.”
Now Kenny Loggins Jesus and I bid you adieu…
Over the weekend I got to see a rare Hans Richter film: Dreams That Money Can Buy.
The story involves a man who realizes he can see into the minds of others, and opens a business selling custom made dreams to troubled clients. Each customer encounter is followed by a surreal dream sequence.
My absolute favorite was The Girl With the Prefabricated Heart. I couldn’t find the entire clip without a remade score, but you can get an idea from this. If you enjoy strange dolls, and clever satire of consumerism and manufactured beauty, this is NOT to be missed:
Here is an abridged version with the original soundtrack. Click to hear its scratchy, vintage glory:
Amazing decoration idea, found on Pumpkinrot:
I give you Structure of Shadow, an installation by Bohyun Yoon.
“This work is an installation piece in which I present a mix of male and female toy-like rubber figures hung with strings marching in one direction, one after another.”
“Hanging like puppets, the figures portray the idea of a group as opposed to an individual. A simple light and shadow trick is key in this work and becomes a metaphor for invisible power or tricks of politics in our society. When the viewer approaches the work, their weight makes this structure shake and all the figures dance.”
I’m truly amazed by how the doll parts convene into cohesive shadows.
Yoon’s experience in the Korean military inspired him to explore the ideas of agency and power.
“I want to pose a question through my work: how does reality become exquisitely animated by certain control systems such as politics, mass media, advertisement, etc.? Furthermore, I want to reveal how human beings are fragile and delicate in these environments.”
I’ve had this collection of pictures on my desktop for what feels like eternity. They are from my last shopping excursion in NYC. I think they give a fairly good idea of what my little eyes like to drink up along my travels. Here are a few of my favorite oddities hot spots.
Giant Robot is PACKED with adorable kitsch and random imported goodness. They also have art displays in the front of the store.
Atomic Passions looks like grandma’s attic…if you happen to have the most awesome grandmother in the history of the world.
Ah, Obscura…a favorite indeed. These antique acquisitions are nothing short of impressive. Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, the place is overflowing with amazing things to look at. My imagination gets lost in the stories contained in these pieces.
I never tire of looking around Evolution, which I’ve posted about before. On this particular day, the upstairs section was closed, so I missed checking out the incredible taxidermy specimens (which, for my own sanity I MUST believe died of natural causes…don’t ruin it for me).
Clearly, I like densely packed displays of meaningful objects! So beware, if I ever ask you to go “shopping,” I won’t be referring to 5th Avenue boutiques…there will be antiquated medical instruments and rotting dolls involved. Usually, anyway. I also like bookstores. 
