Anatomical Barbie @ The Walsh Gallery

Anatomical Barbie
Created by  Kath Meadows, Jarah Moesch,
Lauren Sims, Lara Skibbie, Carrie Ganz,
Stella the dog, Rotor the cat

showing at:
The Colcha Project
March 5 – April 4, 2012
Opening Reception –
Tuesday, March 6th, 5pm to 9pm
Colcha (Portuguese for crocheted quilt) is an ongoing project involving collaboration and crochet in the Portuguese tradition. Curated by Doris Cacoilo, the project will display quilts made during previous versions of the project. Visitors will be invited to participate in the making of new quilts during the length of the exhibition
About Anatomical Barbie
Mattel’s Barbie Dolls have come under tremendous critique, from her absurd measurements to the reification of gendered stereotypes in United States culture, yet generations of children still play with them, creating narratives around the dolls and their accessories.
Anatomical Barbie is a playful take on the social pressures that produce Barbie as idealized feminine perfection- but from the inside.
Instead of focusing on her exterior, on her traditional playthings, such as shoes, dresses and hats, gallery-participants will accessorize Barbie with that which she has never had: internal organs and non-distorted body parts, enabling different narratives, such as  “Going-Out Barbie” complete with disco uterus and pierced labia.
Gallery participants will be able to sit on the colcha and accessorize Barbie with various body parts and internal organs, such as an anatomically correct heart, and non-distorted brain, femur and stomach.  Additionally, participants will also be able to play and swap-out fun decorative organs such as uteri, labias, belly buttons, mouths, a valentine heart, a penis, intestines and hair.