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Ian's Doll Project based on the concept that no one is perfect, and the folk doll used for this project is a prime example. The project is named after Ian White, the curator of the Life by Design Exhibit, who owns the doll and has loaned her to me. In Spring 2022, Ian displayed the doll in the Life by Design exhibit at San Bernardino Valley College's Gresham Gallery. This exhibit showcased works by modern and contemporary artists and designers, exploring space, function, and the narratives that connect culture and identity. The doll stood out to me among artworks with higher monetary value because of her imperfections, reminding me of the classic children's story, The Velveteen Rabbit. Like the rabbit, the doll embodied the idea that love, care, and stories give life meaning beyond material worth. Through research, I discovered that the doll, named Bettina, was created from a Pineberry Lane pattern and stands about 24 inches tall. Written on the back of her neck is "Bettina, 2007, Pineberry Lane." While I found Pineberry Lane online, I couldn’t locate a physical store. The Ian's Doll Project began at the end of the pandemic, with both Bettina and I yearning for freedom from the isolation of the gallery. After two years of teaching online and in isolation, I was eager to explore. Some of the images in the project are composites of the doll with other artwork in the gallery, while others include scenes from places like Manhattan and Venice. In the summer of 2022, Bettina accompanied me to Laurie Klein's photography workshop in Wisconsin. My goal was to have the models interact with the doll, sharing their stories with her. This is where the project took an unexpected turn—it became less about the doll and more about the people. One model had moved to Wisconsin to escape the gang violence in Detroit, while another revealed the prevalence of domestic abuse in rural areas. In 2023, Bettina traveled with me again, this time to Laurie Klein's workshop at Maine Media in Rockport, Maine. As before, the models’ stories surfaced: the impact of forever chemicals in Maine soil, the heartache of breakups, struggles with addiction among Maine’s lobster fishermen, a delivery room nurse who dislikes babies and dolls, and a model who was not fond of Bettina or the color of her fabric. |
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| October 4th - November 24th 2024 | |||||
| Artist Reception: Sun Oct 20th 2-4pm & Sat Nov 2nd 1-3pm | |||||
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| 300 South Thomas Street Pomona, CA 91766 |
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