F

Flavorwire

dolls

Music

Terrifyingly Realistic David Bowie Dolls

By Tom Hawking on

Look, we love David Bowie as much as the next man (and quite possibly a whole lot more so), but there’s something terrifying about these dolls, which we spotted via the ever-fascinating Dangerous Minds. The creepily realistic thin white homunculi are the work of one EV Svetova, who goes by the handle Katyok on DeviantArt. As per her site, “I do not make the dolls, neither do I sell them” — what she does do, however, is craft the mannequins into amazingly detailed pieces, so much so that you kinda expect them to start walking and talking and making dire predictions about only having five years left to cry in. … Read More

Photography

Uncanny Portraits of Older Women With Their Childhood Dolls

By Emily Temple on

Some toys stick with you forever. In Vera Saltzman’s intimate yet strangely unsettling portrait series, which we spotted over at Feature Shoot, the Canadian-based photographer captures women over 40 with their childhood dolls, their faces steeped in nostalgia. As Saltzman writes, “Sigmund Freud believed the uncanny to be something which leads us back to what is old and familiar but is at the same time “unheimlich” or uncomfortable. This series explores the idea of the uncanny as it manifests in a longing for youth, and a recognition of mortality.” Uncanny indeed. Check out a few of our favorites from the series after the jump, and then be sure to head over to Saltzman’s website to see more of her work. … Read More

Art

Amazing, Hyperrealistic Doll Children

By Alison Nastasi on

Doll enthusiasts have created a unique industry for themselves, often taking vinyl doll “skeletons” and “reborning” them to look like living, breathing babies. It’s a startling and surreal thing to behold, but the painstaking level of detail is admirable. French artist Laurence Ruet — whose work we first spotted on Design You Trust — also makes “living dolls,” but her creations are perhaps more unique.

All of her dolls are one of a kind works, made without a mold, and sculpted from polymer clay. She also crafts the clothes, shoes, and “pets” that go along with them. Ruet puts a lot of thought into portraying the emotions of the dolls, and each tiny figure’s chubby cheeks, freckles, and missing teeth express their personalities in a beautiful, but uncanny way. See what we mean, below. … Read More

Travel

10 of The Most Bizarre Vacation Destinations

By Alison Nastasi on

“One of the things that makes the location so unique and so amazing is that you can be there in broad daylight, out in the open, and still feel very vulnerable,” Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli told Vulture about the location of his new film Chernobyl Diaries.

He produced the supernatural tale that takes place in Prypiat — an abandoned Ukrainian city near the location of the deadly Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster that devastated residents in 1986. Peli described how the threat of radiation and the location’s eerie, remote atmosphere made it the perfect place to set his new found footage horror film. In the movie, a group of tourists venture to the city on an extreme vacation, but soon discover they’re not alone.

These bizarre vacation destinations aren’t just hot spots in cinema. People travel to Pripyat in real life for adventurous and surreal experiences. We discovered other unusual vacation getaways for your perusal past the break. Feel free to mention your favorite strange destination below. … Read More

Pop Culture

Uncannily Realistic Repainted Celebrity Dolls

By Judy Berman on

Just about every major movie that comes out these days — and not just the family fare — ends up producing some kind of commemorative doll. Same with any platinum-selling pop star. But have you ever noticed how little these Barbie-like creations tend to resemble their subjects? Well, so has Noel Cruz, an artist who repaints the dolls so that they uncannily recreate the faces of celebrities and their characters. See a perfectly preserved mid-’80s Madonna, Angelina Jolie at her steamiest, and even Harry Potter, after the jump. Then, make sure you visit Cruz’s website to check out more of his work. … Read More

Photography

Fausta Facciponte’s Unsettling Photographs of Forgotten Dolls

By Nicole Rallis on

What becomes of our discarded childhood dolls? Do they make their way into the loving arms of another kid or wind up lonely, collecting dust at the bottom of a discount bin? Canadian artist Fausta Facciponte explores the afterlives of abandoned dolls in her haunting photo series Doll-O-Rama. Part of her Lost and Found collection — for which Facciponte captures forgotten items — it aims to show off the beauty that lies behind the worn-out eyes of old, thrift-store dolls, although the vibrantly colored, large-scale depictions of the lost, battle-scarred toys give off a more unsettling vibe. Page through the evocative images below, and find out more about Facciponte’s work at her website. … Read More

Fashion

The First Tattooed Barbie Ever

By Jill Harness on

She isn’t going to be available as a kid’s toy, but collectors of Barbie dolls are certain to be scrambling for the new Tokidoki release. She not only stands apart from her more classic incarnations in that she’s the first Barbie to have tattoos, but she also has pink hair and her own Tokidoki cactus friend, Bastardino.

Most of us outgrew our love of Barbies a long time ago, but we might just consider starting up a new collection if they keep releasing dolls with clothing and accessories this hip. Click through to see more detailed pictures of this totally modern fashionista. … Read More

Art

Gallery: Marc Giai-Miniet's Demented Dollhouses

By Caroline Stanley on

Remember a while back when we told you about Mariel Clayton’s bloody, depraved Barbie dolls? We’ll thanks to Fast Company, we now have a pretty good mental image of what those creepy ladies would consider total dream houses. French artist Marc Giai-Miniet makes some of the most incredibly detailed (and disturbing!) dollhouses that we’ve ever seen. Think The City of Lost Children meets Saw. If you’re feeling especially brave, click through to check out a few of our favorites. … Read More

Design

Child’s Play: The Unstoppable Barbie and Other Dolls

By Sarah Sternberg on

This year, the eponymous Barbie turns fifty, although you would never know it: the passage of time seems to have skipped the doll’s diminutive form, and she remains plastic fantastic, blonde-haired and wrinkle-free. Amidst the host of publicity surrounding her birthday and the barrage of collaborations (with Vera Wang, Fiat and even a life-size Malibu beach house built in her honor), Barbie has managed to keep up appearances. Her looks have barely changed since her 1959 incarnation; despite feminist protest, Barbie, and her ridiculous measurements, have endured. All the hype around Barbie’s birthday got us thinking about dolls, the stereotypes they proscribe, and the inevitable backlash. It makes you wonder: When did these toys become anything more politicized than… Read More