Margaux Lange has made a career out of cutting up Barbies and making them into wearable jewellery. These are not just any Barbies though; part of their identity is that they have had another life in the hands of a child before they are reused in one of her pieces. She likes the idea that they are saved from landfill, but having had another life also adds to their mystique and the depth of their stories – what child had this? What imaginings has this doll already lived and loved within?

Barbie has always been a part of Margaux’s life; she admits to being obsessed with them as a child. “I would spend hours crafting precious details for her and the miniature world in which she existed. Barbie dolls played a pivotal role in my childhood development. I used the dolls as a tool for exploring human relationships in my own life, as well as my imagined fantasy lives. I would lose myself for hours within the world I created.” She says that having complete control over scenarios, and the creativity and exploration they allow in this way can be a great source of empowerment for a child. “My experience with Barbie was uniquely positive in this way.”

 

 

 

Even as a teenager, Barbie was never too far away. She made a reappearance in Margaux’s high school drawings and sculptures, and again at college (she completed her BFA in 2001 at the The Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore). Deciding to focus on using found objects in her work at college, she naturally fell again to Barbie, and the beginnings of The Plastic Body Series was born.

Now, Margaux spends a lot of time sketching in her sketchbook, but also spends time taking a bunch of snaps on her phone, checking out different configurations of body parts. Her methods of design and making vary with whatever it is she is working on. Sometimes she works within a concept, conveying a particular message, and other times it all comes down to creating textures and forms with the various parts.

 

 

There are always detractors; people who complain about the unhealthy body image of Barbie, and question Margaux’s use of her. “Despite my obsession with Barbie as a child, I do not have any recollection of ever wanting to look like her. In my opinion, there are far more damaging pop-culture icons and celebrities that children and teens try to emulate –made of flesh and bone and not plastic. That is not to say that Barbie is insignificant in shaping a child’s self image; however I believe Barbie’s influence is much too complex an issue to simply condemn as destructive. Each child’s experience with her is unique and therein lies the value.”

“I’ve heard every possible reaction you can imagine. I started a blog with
some of the comments about my work that I’ve come across on the internet. It’s called
Creepy but Cool. It was my way of managing and sharing some of the comments my
work has received, both positive and negative {www.margauxlange.tumblr.com}.”

 

 

But overwhelmingly, there are a wide range of people who love it – art jewellery collectors, Barbie nostalgics, and “bold individuals who aren’t afraid to wear jewelry that sparks a conversation.”

“Some people respond to its humor and think it’s clever and fun, or it feeds a sense of nostalgia for them. Some wear it as a feminist statement and others simply appreciate it because it’s unique and beautifully hand-crafted. I encourage all responses. As long as people are reacting and talking about it, that’s a good thing.”

 

 

“I explore many concepts but I prefer that people read into the works what they will. My
hope is that they will recognize the work’s humor and wit just as much as its layered
conceptuality. There are various dimensions one can read into any given piece in the
series and that’s part of the fun. Art is meant to engage and I believe it can also be
humorous and irreverent.”

Well, that it is.

 

 

You can find Margaux’s pieces in numerous galleries in the US and around the world, and you can also check more of her work on her own website, www.margauxlange.com, and purchase it in her Etsy store.