The Spectacle of the Mannequin
"Like the stars of movies and TV shows, mannequins are icons, surrogates that embody the hopes, dreams and dramas of real people."
--D. Eric Bookhardt, Gambit Read the Review
The mannequin form has been often used in art as a human surrogate and as such invites commentary. Georgio DeChirico was the first to utilize this image to consider the human condition and was followed by the Surrealists, Eugene Atget, Hans Bellmer and finally our contemporaries Tom Blackwell, Cindy Sherman, and Joan Semmel.My interest in fashion mannequins developed from my past concerns with the urban landscape, americana, and popular culture - cityscapes, automobiles, and motorcycles. This new body of work examines these same ideas through the form of the mannequin. This image is depicted in a setting merging window display and street life or in an environment of my own construction.
The female fashion mannequin appears as a pervasive presence in modern urban life - on the streets, in the malls, on runways, and in magazines. This image abounds in our popular culture and depicts the ideal woman - the ultimate in desired allure. The mannequin world in these paintings depicts the hyper reality and spectacle of society with an eye that is both critical and celebratory. These works explore the position of women on a psychological and commercial level through issues such as masquerade, beauty, and the uncanny. The mannequin is a fiberglass dummy but tells a human story. This story is for the viewer to experience and complete.
Lory Lockwood
November 4, 2000
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