Photographer and filmmaker Laurie Simmons has been at the forefront of New York’s contemporary art scene since the late ’70s. Utilizing surrogate figures (toys, dummies, puppets, and cutouts), Simmons constructs scenarios that simulate daily life, fantasies, and elements of pop culture. Long associated with the feminist art movement for her portrayal of women’s roles, the artist’s project involving a life-size Japanese sex doll is bound to spark some debate on both sides of the women’s rights camp.
Opening at New York’s Salon 94 Bowery on the day after Valentine’s Day, The Love Doll: Days 1-30, presents Simmons large-scale, color photos and video of her mail order roommate, which she gradually befriends. Documenting her from day one, when she emerges from a box in only a slip, Simmons takes her under her wing — buying clothes and creating a fantasy lifestyle for her in the artist’s New York apartment and country house. The lively results expose a psychological situation, where the doll partially sheds its designated role as a sex object and begins to take on an identity projected on it from Simmons’ poetic imagination.
Laurie Simmons – The Love Doll: Days 1-30 is on view at Salon 94 Bowery February 15 to March 16.
Click through below for a gallery of images.
Laurie Simmons, Day 8 (Lying on Bed), 2010. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 4 (Red Dog), 2009. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 24 (Underwater), 2010. Fuji matte print, 47 x 70 inches (119.4 x 177.8 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 6 (Winter), 2010. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 12 (Bathtub), 2010. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 11 (Yellow), 2010. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 17 (Mouse and Cheese), 2010. Fuji matte print, 47 x 70 inches (119.4 x 177.8 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 9 (Shiso Soda), 2010. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York
Laurie Simmons, Day 14 (Candy), 2010. Fuji matte print, 70 x 47 inches (177.8 x 119.4 cm), from The Love Doll, edition of 5, 2 APs. Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York