Making a real woman up as a Barbie doll would seem to be a pretty played out art world gimmick. After all, generations of art school kids have gotten passing grades by slapping a blond wig on one of their pals and snapping a few quick photos the night before finals.
But there is something about Andrej Glusgold's photographic piece “Laura” that stops you cold. She leans against the wall of a corridor that's covered with way too many wallpaper samples. Her legs are stretched out stiffly before her. Her big, kinky '80s 'do is going every which way and her oversized high heels look like they were clumsily jammed onto her feet by by some little girl the size of King Kong. And most horrifying of all, her face is fixed in a classic Barbie grin, dead-eyed yet paradoxically desperate to please.
The “Take a Chance” show at the OMC Gallery features plenty of interesting young artists who use photos to create surreal illustrations. But Glusgold's “Laura” is the girl who haunts you. Everything about the image suggest a doll whose owner grew up long ago. Poor Laura has been left to sit in her toy-box forever, waiting for a playmate who will never come again.
The OMC Gallery for Contemporary Art
7561 Center Ave #32
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-421-0476
Open Wed – Sat 2 – 7 p.m.
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