FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Abbey Golden
“living dolls”
2013
“I think a painting is more like the real world if it’s made out of the real world”
-Robert Rauschenberg
Living dolls is the fourth series from New York-based artist Abbey Golden. This body of work represents an amalgam of concepts, techniques, and practices that Golden has been toying with since her introduction to fine art. Common threads include seedy cultural references, broad brush strokes, and a strong dimensional aspect. These ideas were then fused with multiple influences from art history, including Robert Rauschenberg, Edvard Munch, George Condo, Mike Kelley, Laurie Simmons, Jean Michel Basquiat, and Picasso.
The dolls were born out of the interest of using alternative materials to revisit classical ideals. This juxtaposition is also apparent in levels of taste; though we attribute love dolls as out-of-the-ordinary and perhaps perverse, their pop colors create a contradictory cheeky and playful effect. This dichotomy, infused with the abstract expressionist style of painting, further transports these dolls from just existing in erotic shops and 18 + websites to being out on display for everyone to confront as a reality.
Edgy and bold while remaining poignant, the living dolls series pushes boundaries to create a uniquely visceral and conceptual experience.