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National Institute of American Doll Artists

 

Olga Roehl


A bit about my Dolls…
A doll for me is a new world born from dead substance and endowed by joy, disappointment, laughter, tears, events and understanding. These new worlds are inevitable it is like a burst of my energy. Sometimes they are more real than reality with its absurdity, foolishness and loneliness. My dolls are my biography, a total image of myself, my stories. They are my philosophical reflections of my life and me in this life. My dolls’ characters are a bit sad and slightly sarcastic. Sensual, gentle, subtle, open, erotic, as well as proportional, harmonious and stable – it’s all about my dolls. Both male and female images are not “correct” in a classical way, on the contrary, I try to make them non-beautiful and non-correct. What’s interesting, the less beautiful they are the more attractive they become for the audience.

What is more about the doll’s image is that its glance seems to slide upon spectator and at the same time it goes through him. These eyes can see secret things.

Grace is almost grotesque, the image exists somewhere in the flash between reality and myth being sometimes more self-confident and victorious or even provocative. It’s often hidden behind the mask not to show true feelings and emotions. The one who has tried the mask turns into somebody else. Mask has fantastic and unlimited possibilities as it permits passion to be released. On the other hand, having magical nature, it hides a real face. Life seems to be a masquerade, an eternal mystery camouflaged by mask and luxury of clothing. We show our deep feelings and experiences to the few. Who is that One to be initiated into this mystery? Who will be involved in this intrigue of love? May be the One who with French courtesy and Spanish ceremoniousness follows his Dame? One day He, insistent and brave, throwing his mask away, will be surprised by Her beauty, gentleness and vulnerability. It is all about my Venetian series of dolls. Though I believe that the same mystery exists in any situation when He and She are involved.

Perhaps I perceive the world through symbols and associations. They carry out the emotional tone and support my ideas. These ideas are shaped into concrete doll images. For example music for me is associated with Mozart. So the composition Mozart has appeared. Mozart is genius. Thus another composition Mozart and Shadow has come to life. Genius and mediocrity are always separated by the shade of mysteriousness, lie, misunderstanding and envy. These ideas have given birth to the image of Saliery, etc. As you can see the chain of associations is endless.

Another example is The Seasons, which are just my moods. My special preference goes to autumn, the favourite season of mine. All the best in my life happened in this time of falling leaves and flamboyant colours. Autumn image got the name Motion as any event is motion itself.

I never make isolated dolls. Usually they form a pair or multi-figure compositions. I use the Italian Das as a material. It is air-hardening modeling clay which doesn’t need to be specially dried off, what is very convenient in use. When making clothes I almost every time add Japanese silk. The height of my dolls is 16 – 45.

~Olga

Contact Information:
Olga Roehl
Hebelstrasse 19 a
D 79618 Rheinfelden-Baden
Mail artconsulting@t-online.de
Tel: + 49 7623 79 74 58
Fax:+ 49 7623 79 74 58
Mobile + 41 76 337 33 50
www.olga-roehl.de
www.olga-roehl.com


Pat Lillich

For me, the process of forming a figure from clay sometimes starts with just a feeling or emotion and the end result can be just as much a surprise for me as it may be to anyone who views it. Other times I start out to sculpt family or friends, and use the time spent squishing the clay as an opportunity to explore my feelings about them. They are sometimes a little surprised to discover that I see them with wings, or horns, or visible demons... but fortunately, for the most part - they have pretty good senses of humor.
Other times, the figures I sculpt are images from dreams both remembered and imagined, using shadows to paint the details . What I want to try to do is capture a part of that sense of wonder and fear that comes from half-seen glimpses of strange beautiful figures out of the corner of your eye...
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Contact Information:
Pat Lillich
3 Euclid Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
408 354-2539
patl@mac.com
http://shadows.4oni.com
http://shadows.4oni.com/blog

Reina Mia Brill

Through wire I illustrate a world of childhood memories and experiences. Panels of knitted wire are layered, like pen and ink drawings, to create surface tension and drama. Each creature has its own story to tell.  Their various names suggest ideas or visions steeped in mythology.  They are each born out of a process that may seem as fabled as the creatures themselves. I begin with drawings that are translated into a wood skeleton, constructed to convey a posturing as well as offer gravitational support.  A process of wrapping and layering with foil over the frame provides shape and density to the figures. They are then completely covered with a stuffed nylon skin. Using old-fashioned knitting machines, I create a flexible mesh wire fabric that is meticulously stitched onto the skin—layer by layer—over faces, horns, and even the crevices of toes until the essence of each creature breathes life.

 

 

Contact Information:
Reina Mia Brill
KNITTED WIRE SCULPTURE
75 Earley Street
Bronx, NY 10464
917-463-7096 www.ReinaMiaBrill.com

 

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