Friday, March 11, 2011

Games of the Doll


In this supremely creepy photograph by Bellmer (1934), the artist uses color, composition, and perspective to make the viewer uneasy. The "doll" is tinted red, which carries connotations of sensuality and warmth. Also, that color is made even more striking when it's set against the green of the background. The voyeur is a black shadow, dark and brooding. The eye travels back and forth between the watcher and the watched, which are placed on opposite sides of the picture. The voyeur's face is hidden behind the tree, which keeps him (her?)from having a specific identity. Instead, the watcher is an anonymous evil-doer. Finally, the perspective puts us on the side of the doll. This gives the feeling that we too are being watched, that perhaps we are the only ones who could rescue this doll. But does she want to be rescued?

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