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He
was the subject of numerous magazine articles, had dolls featured
in books and exhibits, and created an incredible body of work
that is highly prized by collectors lucky enough to own one of
his dolls. That is the bare bones of Robert Keene McKinley's story,
but some of the most important parts are missing.
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Kate
Bob had difficulty with Kate's mouth and asked several people
to try to assume the expression he wanted. He finally used
his own image in a mirror to get it right.
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Sunday
In the late '80s, Bob made a couple of molds and created
two or three dolls from each, all different except the sculpture.
Sunday is one of three from one mold, the other two being
The Urban Gardner and The Renaissance Woman.
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Queen
of Spades
One of Bob's beautifully costumed operatic
dolls
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BIO
Robert Keene McKinley --
In the late
1970s, a children's clothing designer, who had been making and
performing puppets after work, decided he wanted to give up the
footlights and stage fright and just make figures for the fun
of it. Early in Robert McKinley's dollmaking experiments, he struck
up a correspondence with NIADA founder Helen Bullard, who wrote
the first of many magazine articles on him in 1983. He created
three sets of windows for Tiffany's in New York ('81, '82, '83),
was elected to NIADA in 1985, wrote two dollmaking books and made
one video, became internationally renowned for his dolls and teaching.
| Ascot
Bob loved making hats |
Bob did not
seek fame and fortune. It all came to him because he was one of
the most talented doll artists in the world, he was one of the
most kind and giving people in the world, and he was a heck of
a lot of fun. He helped propel doll artistry to new recognition
solely on the quality of his work. He taught, nurtured, and encouraged
countless new talents. Much of the reason doll artists are such
a sharing group of people is because of Bob's example.
Bob's dolls
range from the realistic, poignant NY street people that were
his favorite subjects to whimsical elves, flashy ladies in elaborate
costumes, and characters from the theater he so adored. Although
he worked in a wide range of sizes and styles, every one of his
dolls is perfectly proportioned, impeccably crafted, and filled
with strong emotional content. His dolls may make you laugh or
they may make you cry, but it is impossible to look at one without
feeling something.
| Elf
This high-kicking elf was one of a number he made in the
early '90s. |
Few people
are aware that Bob's first book was originally written in the
evenings as step-by-step instructions for a woman in Kentucky
who had written and asked him some questions about dollmaking.
Bob made a doll, photographing and writing as he went, and sent
her a "chapter" each week. When the doll was done, he
sent that to her, too. He was never too busy to answer a letter
or talk on the phone for hours to an aspiring doll artist, even
when his fame grew and he was inundated with fan mail and calls.
Gifted with quick wit and a wicked sense of humor, Bob was a joy
to be around, and everyone loved his classes. He was so entertaining
that you didn't realize just how much you'd actually learned for
days.
Robert Keene
McKinley - extraordinary doll artist and remarkable human being.
His contributions to NIADA and the world of doll art are without
exception. NIADA is honored to dedicate this website in his name.
by Nancy
Walters
NIADA Artist and Bob's loving friend.
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