Dolls as Art: The Soft Sculpture of Natalia Diaz Jackson
Natalia Diaz Jackson’s exhibition of soft sculpture arrived in the East Village last week with a stunning window display that has been startling pedestrians with its brilliance night and day.
Diaz-Jackson’s Family Weaver is a sculptural exploration of family, femininity, culture and humanity presented in the faces, forms and fashions of her nearly life-sized doll creations. The exhibition runs all month at EV Gallery, 621 E. 11th St.
Despite advanced notices that made the coming show look more like a crafting event, Family Weaver is an exceptional exhibition of original sculpture rooted in generations of doll making and a wide range of other artistic influences. Calling them dolls at all is probably a mistake; they have nothing in common with Barbie, or Bratz, or even softer commercial creations like Raggedy Ann.
Can dolls be art? Diaz Jackson’s show proves that the answer to that question is indeed yes. In fact, dolls and toys have figured in the portfolio’s of many transcendent artists. Pablo Picasso made dolls and toys for his kids and grandkids. Paul Klee made puppets. Alexander Calder’s renowned toy Circus (1926–31) is on permanent display at the Whitney.
Diaz Jackson’s dolls are prima facie beautiful, with their coy expressions, flowing gowns and intentional posing. At the same time, though, they deliver warm messages of love and humanity, which is pretty much the point.
“My dolls are unique art pieces made with healing intentions,” Diaz Jackson says. “Each doll is carefully crafted with love and intention, creating a piece that is both beautiful and meaningful.”
The full title of the show gets a bit deeper into Diaz Jackson’s artistic motivation and the timeless nature of doll making as art: Family Weaver: Doll-making over generations, one Nuyorican woman's journey through doll-making, family folklore, and shared stories of experiences in NYC.
Diaz Jackson calls herself “an emerging and developing artist who specializes in soft-sculpture” and “also a historical preserver of cloth doll making.” Her family traditions are on display in a collection of dolls created by her grandmother, as well as in a wall of family portraits.
“My passion for doll-making started at a young age when I would spend hours watching my grandmother, Natalia Alvarado, create Madama dolls in her New York City home. My grandmother's dolls were an integral part of our family culture and folklore and represented the rich culture of Puerto Rico that had been passed down through generations,” she said.
And, she added, her work has roots that transcend her personal heritage.
“Cloth doll-making is an ancient practice that has been passed down through cultures all over the world. It is a form of storytelling that allows us to connect with our heritage and share our experiences with others,” she said.
