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Publication Date

August 2021

Keywords

Amanda Jenkinson

Abstract

As someone who enjoys the thrill of collecting, I am inspired to create soft sculpture that reflects my passion for dolls and plush toys in a way that critiques the inherent consumerism of these objects. Collecting as a habit makes itself evident in my own home as well as my art, as I assemble my personal space in the same controlled chaos that is present in my sculptures. I find passion in the saccharine nature of plush collecting and fascination in the stories old dolls could tell.

The soft sculptures I create incorporate porcelain doll heads and are inspired by stuffed animals that have been abandoned. Multiple heads and an abundance of decorum allude to the tumor-like nature of compilation, which some may find unsettling, but to me bring comfort. Using soft colors and visual textures to assemble these pieces brings the same joy as imagining the world of love these lost dolls were once a part of. Sentimentality urges me to keep collecting, amassing into an organized yet jumbled mess of ideas and passions that are present on the surfaces of my plush dolls.

Creating these pieces allows me to construct the feeling of joy it brings me to rearrange and organize my own chaotic collection of tchotchkes. At the same time, the disturbing quality they exude indicates the obsessive nature of this hobby and the animosity some might feel toward this maximalist passion.

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Keywords

Amanda Jenkinson

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