not a toy
this is not a toy is an artist book consisting of collage
work that draws parallels between porcelain dolls
and the commercialization of womanhood. the
photographs in the book are of my mother’s porcelain
dolls. she has a large collection of dolls that she’s
cultivated since she was a little girl. despite looking
like toys and being owned by a child, my mother
understood that the dolls held greater importance;
they were aspirational, precious, and all hers. her
respect for her collection breathes new life into an
old debate over whether or not dolls are anti-feminist.
Instead of oppression she found empowerment in their
highly feminine makeup and fashion.
stitch type: 4-hole stab stitch
book type: accordion
materials: wax thread, watercolor
paper, recycled fiber, and collaged
photography
print information: edition of three, printed at the depaul university print
lab using a laserjet printer