mariel clayton: doll photographer with a subversive sense of humour

'B is for brochette'
image © mariel clayton


committed to chronicling the more sinister side of barbie's picturesque life,
self-taught photographer mariel clayton's body of work is a collection of images
depicting the doll as an aggressor of a number of gory scenarios.

complemented with tongue-in-cheek titles, the outlandishly gruesome images often
include ken, barbie's on-and-off-again boyfriend, in the unfortunate position of victim:
decapitated with a box of chocolate in hand, hung upside down and drained of his blood,
scrubbing the floor with a sponge while naked on a leash, and many other unlucky roles.



'for you valentine... a piece of my heart'
image © mariel clayton


largely set in a domestic scene, the images are a visual hodge-podge of miniature props,
which the photographer came across while traveling in tokyo. a surprisingly wide range
of emotions and narratives are achieved through subtle gestures of the dolls,
resulting in a strangely comical reading of the photographs.



'play nicely with daddy - pt.3'
image © mariel clayton



'G is for gastromancy'
image © mariel clayton



'I thought I told you - let her finish packing the food and THEN run her over...'
image © mariel clayton



'H is for hamartiology'
image © mariel clayton



'lie back and think of libya'
image © mariel clayton



'they may not bounce as high...'
image © mariel clayton



'F is for facinorous'
image © mariel clayton