Beth Robinson: Strange Dolls

I belong to several groups on LinkedIn and come across many interesting artists via this website. One such artist is doll creator Beth Robinson. Robinson is a self-taught artist from New England and has been sculpting her very unique dolls since 2003. Previously a painter and illustrator, Beth changed course when a friend introduced her to Japanese ball-joint dolls.

Clearly not meant for children, each of Robinson’s “little people” is hand made using polymer clays, vintage fabrics, acrylic paint, and sometimes real human hair or teeth. Each oddly proportioned, strangely dressed character is one of a kind, having its own individual story.

Robinson’s work has been shown in galleries throughout the USA, England, the Netherlands and Germany. As well, her dolls have been featured in magazines such as Art Doll Quarterly, SPIN, Stuff, Maxim (UK and Hong Kong), Rue Morgue (Canada), Nokia CP (Turkey), RIP (Russia), and Nordic Vision (Norway).

Robinson’s dolls fascinate me. They are a mix of not quite creepy and darkly cute. At the same time, I can find in them, the emotions and actions of every day life, though perhaps in an exaggerated and twisted kind of way. I also admire that she has found a way to use a wide variety of mediums to create a single piece of art. Her dolls are a unique merger of design, sculpting, painting, and sewing.

For more information about Beth Robinson, visit StrangeDolls.net.