500 Handmade Dolls: Modern Explorations of the Human Form

This beautiful book will especially appeal to three classes of people: artists who make handmade dolls, amateurs who emulate them, and general readers like my wife and me who collect them. Helen Bullard, who was instrumental in popularizing the art form in the US described these dolls in 1983: "Collections of mass-produced dolls, originally made for children to play with, are everywhere. Far rarer and generally unknown to the public are the original dolls handmade by artists with the same creative approach which is used in painting and sculpture. Their dolls, many of which express American culture, are not intended for play." The National Institute of American Doll Artists is an embodiment of her efforts, and their website is an excellent starting place for anyone interested in exploring the art form. For several years Lark Books has published a series of picture albums of contemporary arts and crafts. The production process is similar for all the books in this series. A leading artist -- in this case Akira Blount -- asks craft artists to submit photos of their work for inclusion in an upcoming book. (Artists can find a copy of the application form on the Lark Book website.) A jury selects one or more photos from each chosen artist for inclusion in the book. Each artwork gets one page with one or more photos of the piece and a short writeup -- artist's and work's name, size, materials, photo credit is a typical entry. There is no other text, except for in this case a three page introduction by Blount outlining the history of handmade dolls, and an index of contributing artists with page numbers. Lark's object is to "democratically represent the creative scene at the time of publication." This book meets part of that objective. Only artists who are asked to contribute or who see the publisher's announcement and can read English and apply are considered. The great majority of the works shown here are from the United States with a scattering of artists from Australia, Canada, Belgium and The Netherlands. There is only one artist from Japan in this book, a serious omission in view of the many vibrantly creative handmade dolls being made in Japan at the present time. Take a look at, for example, Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo, Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll, or Japanese Kimono Paper Dolls in Full Color (Paper Dolls) to get an idea of how beautiful Japanese dolls can be. During a trip to Tokyo, we saw a major exhibit of Japanese paper dolls at a department store; a gigantic war parade of over 10,000 figures and a fantastic replica of the Globe Theater, among many other treasures. The quality of the photos in this book varies a bit, and doll makers might well learn how to improve their photography skills, especially with respect to shadows. Nevertheless the book itself is printed on excellent paper in an 8" by 8" format with superb color reproductions. Many of the best photos seem to leap off the page giving life to the

The sub-title of this book is Modern Explorations of the Human Form, which gives a better indication of the content than the actual title. In her introduction, Akira Blount, a doll-maker herself, ponders the question as to what exactly is a doll? She then briefly traces the development of "dolls" from their traditional origins as children's playthings through their branching out to include the evolution of dolls as art forms in their own right. Most of the images in the book are from 2000 onwards, giving a comprehensive overview of current trends. I could not find any indication of how the artists were selected, other than it was a juried process, so I don't know if submissions were called for from anyone, or whether the artists were selected first then asked to submit. I suspect the latter, because there is an overall standard of rigorous professionalism in the images chosen, and a merciful lack of arty-crafty whimsey (I realise that this may grate on some readers, but it is not meant as a criticism of this genre). As Blount says, the definition of the doll has certainly expanded, and the whole spectrum is here. There is much to challenge, impress, inspire and move in these avatars of the human spirit. I have two minor quibbles. Many of the photographs could have had improvements in their shadow areas, as the detail was sometimes hard to discern on the paperstock chosen. And the arbitrary classification system baffles me; I couldn't grasp many obvious differences between the dolls in the Non-Traditional, Fantasy or Found Objects, Assemblages & Toys sections. However, overall a serious book, well worth looking out by both collectors and practitioners.

This rugged paperback book (one of those great Lark books) is 8-inches by 8 inches and packed with color photographs of dolls. This has no doll-making instruction but is more like a huge museum exhibit that you can pore over without having to stand in line and have other people breathing down your neck while you're examining each display. Here, each doll gets a lush, color, full-page photograph. Many dolls get a second close-up photo to reveal the tiny details. There is a three-page introduction and an index of contributing artists. The rest of the book is the photos of the 500 dolls, divided into the categories of Non-Traditional, Fantasy, Found Objects, Traditional, and Cloth. None of these are "kid's dolls" in any sense of the word. Rather, they are artistic, folkloric, and eerie, expressing layers of meaning through both their symbolism and the sophisticated human expressions on their amazingly detailed faces. You will not believe the materials you start to recognize in these dolls: pinecones, chicken bones, scraps of cloth, beads. It's a dreamlike experience paging through this gorgeous book.

If you love art dolls you will love this compilation. This is not an instructional book, but rather an inspirational one. It is a pictorial page-turner. I am not given to buying books that are not for reading, but in this case, since I love the art of the doll, I have to say I will cherish this book with its photos of such beautiful creations. Thank you to all the artists whose works are displayed.

As a contributing artist chosen to be a part of this book I have been anticipating the arrival of my copy for months. Yesterday it arrived. Blue ribbon to Akira Blount who had the task of selecting the artwork. What a thougth provoking congregation of imaginative interpretations of the human form. This volume, I predict, will be a dog-eared favorite of anyone in the least bit intrigued by this art form. It is a visual feast from which no one will leave hungry. I am honored that my holy dolls are a part of this collection. Kelly Buntin Johnson www.diddy-wa-diddy.com