Barbie’s Dreamhouse: the ultimate aspirational symbol of gender-normative American girlhood. But what happens when reality intervenes, and that shining suburban McMansion is overrun by the very consumerist objects that Barbie (and, in turn, her young fans) fetishizes? That’s where artist Carrie M. Becker comes in. In her photo series Barbie Trashes Her Dreamhouse, the doll’s house is stuffed with clutter and coming apart at the seams: a teenage girl’s bed is almost completely camouflaged by magazines, accessories, and junk; the dining room is piled high with cardboard boxes and trash bags; the bathroom is a grimy mess, the floor completely coated in random belongings and the sink and toilet filled with dirty water. Click through the gallery after the jump to see the American childhood dream transformed into the kind of nightmare you might find on Hoarders, and visit Becker’s website to learn more about her work.
Carrie M. Becker, The Kitchen, 2011 [Spotted via Super Punch]
Carrie M. Becker, The Teenager’s Bedroom, 2011
Carrie M. Becker, The Bathroom, 2011
Carrie M. Becker, The Living Room, 2011
Carrie M. Becker, The Dining Room, 2011
Carrie M.Becker, The Laundry Room, 2011
Carrie M. Becker, The Bedroom II, 2011
Carrie M. Becker, After the Cleanup, 2011