Evelyn Davis' "Altered Barbie"

Davis, Evelyn. Bulemic Barbie. Photograph.

Davis, Evelyn. Boozin' Barbie. Photograph.

Davis, Evelyn. Boob-Job Barbie. Photograph.

The next collection in Plaything is a series of photographs by Evelyn Davis from the “Altered Barbie” exhibit. The photos imagine a more surrealist side of barbie, the underbelly of the being perfect. Davis uses the altered Barbies to illustrate the many problems created by striving to be the 'ideal woman', from eating disorders to excessive cosmetic surgery. The collection is a provocative piece of social commentary through use of irony, glorifying and marketing something that should be shameful. Ragagli states “I enjoy blurring the lines between commercial work and fine art. Communication is the root of everything we create. I believe my work should take on a socially-conscious medium. The series was a social commentary on the pressures young girls live with growing up in a country obsessed with beauty and fitting in.” (Davis, “Artist Statement”)
The juxtaposition of Davis next to Ragagli means to illustrate and exaggerate the different views that can be shared on the same topic, as well as makes the viewer think critically about the meanings behind both collections.