Barbie – a plastic icon in Da Vinci's guise

Whether it's too dry or asymmetrical, we all know it. Barbie international and Barbie according to ours. She was born in March 1959 and was created by an American businesswoman Ruth Handler, and it was sent to the world by an American toy manufacturer Mattel. It first appeared in public at the New York Toy Fair on October 9, 1959, the first one was sold for just three dollars, and a few years ago the same one was sold at auction for $3,552.50. Lawsuits have been launched against it and it is probably one of the most controversial toys that sparks many debates. Barbie really deserves her own story, doesn't she? So let's start at the beginning...

The birth of an icon
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls and noticed how the dolls always took on adult roles in her play. Realizing that this could be a good niche market, Ruth took her idea to her husband, Matell co-founder Elliot, who, along with the rest of Mattel's executives, was unimpressed. If the idea died down for a while, it came back to life in 1956, when Ruth Handler visited Europe with her two children and noticed a doll in Germany Bild Lilli. This was exactly what she had in mind some time ago! Lilli was a blonde who knew exactly what she wanted and didn't need men for her success. It was based on a popular comic strip character in the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. When the Handler family returned to America, Ruth resolutely went to Matell with a bunch of Lilliks in her arms, and the story of the icon began. Named after Ruth's daughter Barbara, she was the first to wear a zebra swimsuit, available in blonde or dark hair. The first dolls were created in Japan and 350,000 Barbies were sold in the first year of production. Her image has changed over the years, with the most obvious change occurring in 1971, when her eyes were adjusted to look straight ahead and no longer to the side. Over the years, more than a billion Barbies have been sold in 150 countries around the world, according to Mattel's calculations, they sell three every second.

Her fictional life
Barbie is probably one of the few toys (if not the only one) that has an elaborate fictional biography. Her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, her parents are George and Margaret Roberts of Wisconsin. She attended school in New York, has a romantic relationship with Ken Carson, which first appeared in 1961. After breaking up with Ken in 2004, she befriended Australian surfer Blaine. He has more than forty pets - dogs, horses, cats, a panda, even a zebra and a lion. Her careers show that a woman can fill many roles in life. Barbie is, among other things, an astronaut, a doctor and a pilot.

"The first Barbie sold for $3 in 1959, and a few years ago the same doll was sold on eBay for $3,552.50."

Too dry, too blonde and asymmetrical
But in reality, not everything is as beautiful as in her fictitious resume. Barbie has been the target of criticism throughout its history, as it is said to be unsuitable as a role model, as perceived by children. One of the loudest criticisms is that it promotes an unrealistic body image for young women, and this increases the chances that young girls who look up to Barbie as role models will become anorexic. In 2003, they were even in Saudi Arabia banned the sale of Barbies, as it should not correspond to Islamic ideals. Sometimes the criticism of this doll seems to be so loud that it obscures the facts about Barbie as a cultural icon. To override all criticism and Barbie regained its dignity, the French artist Jocelyne Grivaud undertook a very special project on the icon's fiftieth anniversary.

When art trumps criticism
"The whole story began one November day in 1967. With the patience of an angel, my mother secretly knitted a dress and tiny boots for my Barbie. I think there were more dresses with it, but I was fascinated by the boots with the pink bow on top. Then I grew up. The doll was gone, but her elegance and grace remained in my mind. And one day the idea of reviving a happy part of my childhood came to life.” This is how the artist Jocelyne Grivaud describes the reason for the interesting project she undertook - she linked Barbie to the works of famous artists. According to Jocelyne, Barbie is often criticized for being too blonde, too thin, too flat, too "marketing ideal", too "this" and too "that". The goal she tried to achieve with the project was to adapt the icon to other performances. ”This is my personal contribution for my mascot's birthday, which I connected with the artists I respect the most. Thanks to them for creating such intense works of art. And thanks to Ruth Handler, who created this doll model that fascinated me as a child." she also wrote Jocelyne on its website, and then left the visitor to dive into the world of famous works, where the main actress is Barbie...

From antique to modern Barbie
If we are used to her in modern clothes, this time Barbie presents herself in a different light. Jocelyne Grivaud has selected works by her favorite artists and the collection showcases both modern and antique concepts of beauty. Among them, Barbie plays the royal role of Nefertiti and Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. She morphs into Neytiri from Cameron's Avatar and stars in a Bob Dylan poster. She appears with a cigarette in her hand (and more smiling) in the work of Otto Dix and in the artwork Girl with a Pearl Earring by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Barbie easily transforms into the Pop Art world with Andy Warhol and his Marilyn Monroe. It could be on the cover of a magazine Vogue or in ancient Greece on the Venus de Milo sculpture. Among the artists that Jocelyne Grivaud particularly respects is the photographer Guy Bourdin. With the help of his work, probably the most shocking image of Barbie was created. He is lying on the ground, naked, and a stream of blood is flowing from his head. For Jocelyne, his works are personal, powerful and inspiring. He writes next to the photo: "Is Barbie also immortal?"

"This is my personal contribution to my mascot's birthday, connecting her with the artists I respect the most." (Jocelyne Grivaud)