The Doll Collection
Personal series by Ella Sophie, 2011
The doll collection is photographic work focusing on the expectations of beauty forced onto women and girls. And how those expectations affect women and girls. According to society, girls play with dolls, and are thereby taught to fit into their gender role. Dolls focus on pretty dresses, perfect skin, and expressionless stares. And, above all, the lack of the ability to control their own lives. While luckily many women grow up and cast away these traditional gender roles, some still do not. Their lives become infiltrated with an obsession to look perfect. Because that is what they believe is determines their value. Even when the affects aren’t overt, the subtle inner voice is hard to ignore. There are little doubts that creep up.
The truth about being a doll is that you matter for a few years. And then the owner of the doll looses interest in you. In the end, chances are you will end up stuffed into a closet or an attic corner. Or abandoned in some parking lot or tossed into the trash.
Of course, looking like a doll isn’t actually being a doll. But, the fact is, the world would be a very strange and scary place if every woman looked like a perfect doll. I created the doll collection project over a series of months in 2011. The images where shot using a digital camera and then post processed in Adobe Photoshop. Limited editions prints available, 13”x19” exhibition fiber paper.
The F word: Feminism
This work is inherently feminist in nature. I often shy away from calling my photography feminist. But ultimately that is what it is. And I’m learning to own it. To me feminism is about gender equality. It is about giving people the right to choose how they want to express themselves. If we lived in a world that embraced feminism there would be less violence. There would be less confusion and anger about gender. And, to be clear I mean that trans and non-binary folks would no longer be seen as weird. By getting rid of the ridged and forced gender constructs we could live up to our true potential.
Other personal work:
You can find more of my personal work throughout the projects section of my site. Other series that address issues regarding gender roles for women include The distorted fishnets, edible | she is consumable, and moments of solitude. To keep up with work in progress follow my instagram.
