Margaux Lange and reborn Barbie

 I am happy to represent unique and one of the most inspiring and influential jeweler from New York - Margaux Lange. All pieces are made from plastic icon doll – Barbie.

 If you are one of a Barbie fan it might look like a night mare, execution or the end of a pink dream paradise…but remember – it is a second Barbie’s life and the plastic dream figure gone ART.

Also do not forget the sense of humor!

Margaux Lange

- What inspired you to become a jewelry artist?

 Jewelry was a way to get Art off the wall and on to the body so it could be more intimately shared, experienced and literally felt.

 My first introduction to silversmithing was in high school. However I did not know I wanted to become a studio jeweler until college. I bounced around from various mediums until I decided to concentrate on metals.

- How did you first get the idea to make jewelry out of plastic dolls?

 Barbie made her debut in my artwork in high school and then again in various incarnations throughout college. I became interested in incorporating found objects into my jewelry work and because I had done other artworks with Barbie in the past, it felt natural to try her out in the jewelry realm.

It was an unusual idea with a strong personal connection for me, so it felt right.

- What was the first doll jewelry piece you ever created?

 The first piece in the series was a pair of Barbie hand earrings. It seemed the most obvious at the time: 2 hands, 2 ears…viola! It started with that and the ideas for more jewelry designs just kept coming.

- Where do you get all of your dolls?

 Everywhere: garage sales, thrift stores and eBay mostly. Of course I’m always accepting donations from children ready to rid their life of plastic soap operas. It’s important to me that the dolls are acquired as second-hand objects and that they have had a previous life in the hands of a child.

 This has become a crucial part of the story and conceptual basis for these works. I have literally thousands of “previously owned” Barbie dolls/parts in my studio from which to choose.

  I enjoy the idea that the dolls are being repurposed after they’re discarded and are contributing to art.

- What was your personal experience with Barbie?

 I was obsessed with them. Barbie dolls played a pivotal role in my childhood development as a tool for acting out and exploring the human relationships in my own life, as well as the fantasy lives I imagined. I spend many hours crafting precious details for her and the miniature world in which she existed. Playing with dolls helped to develop my dexterity from a young age and strengthened my attention to detail.

- How do most people respond to your work? How do you feel about their reactions?

 I love that everyone brings his or her own baggage. It’s indicative of their relationship with, or feelings about the icon. My goal has been to create art that a broad range of people can relate to and I believe I’ve been successful with this.

Some people respond to its humor and think it’s clever and fun. Some wear it as a feminist statement and other appreciate it because it’s unique. And there are some people who are put off my jewelry and think it’s sinister to see Barbie dolls cut up.  Some people just cannot separate the „woman” from the plastic dolls.

 I encourage all responses. As long as people are reacting and talking about it, that’s a good thing.

- How do you feel about Barbie’s impact on girls, women and society? What does your jewelry say about connection between plastic doll and women?

Barbie is certainly a source of polarization. Each child’s experience with her is unique and I believe there’s value in that. That’s not to say Barbie is nothing to examine regarding Barbie as an ideology. Often my work utilizes Barbie as an archetype to analyze all that this icon has come to symbolize. Sometimes I aim to distance myself and critique pop culture in this way, and other times I wish to engage and participate in it. Much like my own experience with womanhood: a series of rejecting and embracing prescriptive roles and stereotypes.

See more: www.margauxlange.com