The photographer recorded physical dolls as a substitute for love

American exhibition planner Melissa Harris caused a sensation by showcasing the works of photographers Elena Dorfman and Jamie Diamond at the Prada Foundation in Milan.

Dolls are one of the oldest known toys that have captivated human imagination for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, there were records of puppets as early as the 21st century BC, while in Greece, clay puppets can be traced back to at least 200 BC. Of course, dolls are not just toys for children, but also items with spiritual, familial, and supernatural value, which was a vague distinction between then and now.

These ambiguous differences are explored in an exhibition centered around the theme of "alternatives to love". At the Prada Foundation in Milan, the exhibition selected 42 works by contemporary American photographers Jamie Diamond and Elena Dolfman, documenting the lives of many individuals - from amateur female artists to doll enthusiasts, and their emotional investment in dolls.

But using dolls as props or subjects for photography is not a new thing for photographers. In the mid-20th century, Boston artist Morton Bartlett took photos of plaster dolls, and more recently, Laurie Simmons, Elizabeth Jaeger LeCoultre, and Ovid Bistow are known for incorporating human like portraits into their works.

Exhibition planner Melissa Harris told Vogue magazine, "I like the works of Jamie and Elena precisely because their respective visions and works are full of humanity." As a special editor of the foundation, Harris became interested in the works of these two photographers and saw an opportunity for them to have a dialogue, "to see how they interact with each other, what commonalities they have, and what commonalities they have in other directions

The exhibition includes Diamond's "Eternal Mother" series (2012-2018), which is an intimate depiction of the "reborn" by a group of self-taught female artists who handcraft, collect, and interact with hyper realistic physical dolls. The reasons why these women are so obsessed are different, but mainly revolve around a 'empty nest syndrome'. These photos capture the affectionate moments between the protagonists and their physical dolls, appearing to be a sympathetic yet secretive depiction. Working with the team allows me to explore the gray area between reality and skill, where relationships are constructed from inanimate objects, "Diamond said.

In "Nine Months of Rebirth" (2014), this 35 year old Brooklyn artist used Cindy Sherman's self created technique to portray himself as the protagonist. This interesting series depicts Damon wearing a bob wig and traveling through various social environments with a physical doll named Annabelle: from restaurant terraces to trains and swimming pools. These works are inspired by the artist's own childhood and named after her diary. They explore the ways in which girls are socialized to construct specific attitudes towards motherhood, while echoing the artist's research on the group.

At the same time, Los Angeles artist Elena Dolfman focused her attention on dolls as a substitute for romance and sexual partners. In her series "Still Lovers" (2001-2004), the 54 year old artist documented the family lives of men and women who were dedicated to creating life size, humanoid physical dolls. Creating it is fascinating because I have never seen anything like it before, "said Dorfman. Those who like to replace humans with dolls are very attractive to me, both then and now

Although the photographic works in the exhibition do showcase a profound humanity, there is also a perspective that they personify individuals who are already living on the margins of society. Harris explained, "I am not interested in sensationalizing a topic, exploiting anyone, or further marginalizing a group that already feels isolated and judged." Both artists went deep into their groups, won their trust, and spent a lot of time with the individuals being depicted

When our relationship with artificial intelligence technology attracts unprecedented attention, the alternative to love provides a timely and eternal vision of human longing. Although this two-way dialogue appropriately addresses the multifaceted potential of physical dolls as a substitute for emotional attachment, it does not leave much space to fully engage in the ongoing dialogue among future generations. But then again, if a physical doll is meant for play, it must have both ideas and fantasies.



--Reprinted from the public account: Entity doll combat experience