laurie simmons: the love doll

‘the love doll’ by laurie simmons (above) ‘the love doll/day 24 (diving)’, 2010 image © laurie simmons

photographer laurie simmons has created a life of capturing dolls, ranging from ventriloquist puppets to figures cut out from vintage illustrations. though staged in nature, her body of work revolves around animating these life-less subjects, providing a lively environment and often a comical narrative to the scene at hand.

(left) ‘the love doll/day 29 (nude with dog)’, 2011 (right) ‘the love doll/day 22 (20 pounds of jewelry)’, 2010 images © laurie simmons

with her most recent series, ‘the love doll’, she has upgraded to a life-size model custom-ordered from japan. shot in a range of scenes–reclined on a bed, jumping onto a stone wall, playing with a small dog on the floor–the silicone dolls are alarmingly realistic save for the unflinching expression and vacantness of their face. the overall mood of the series when coupled with the knowledge that the inanimate models are simply playing a role in a world that they don’t belong in, is one of loneliness and solitude. by personifying these dolls, simmons illustrates and abstracts the very human concept of feeling like you don’t belong.

‘laurie simmons – the love doll: days 1-30’, an exhibition of the series, is currently on display at the salon 94 bowery gallery in new york until march 26, 2011.

‘the love doll/day 11 (yellow)’, 2010 image © laurie simmons

‘the love doll/day 30/day 2 (meeting)’, 2011 image © laurie simmons

‘the love doll/day 20 (bride)’, 2010 image © laurie simmons

(left) ‘the love doll/day 4 (red dog)’, 2009 (right) ‘the love doll/day 9 (shiso soda)’, 2010 images © laurie simmons

‘the love doll/day 25 (the jump)’, 2010 image © laurie simmons

(left) ‘the love doll/day 8 (lying on bed)’, 2010 (right) ‘the love doll/day 14 (candy)’, 2010 images © laurie simmons ‘the love doll/day 1 (new in box)’, 2010 image © laurie simmons