Every little girl goes through a stage where she begins to outgrow her Barbies. It usually coincides with the time that she realizes that Barbies have no body hair, genitals, or physiologically possible proportions. During this time every little girl, whether they want to admit it or not, plays with their Barbies in a way that the Mattel makers would not intend for them to be played with (little girls make their Barbies have sex.) But one little girl, went above and beyond in her pre-pubescent Barbie doll playing days, and that little girl was named Mariel Clayton. Though it should be said, artist Mariel Clayton never actually outgrew her Barbies, she just invented fun, new ways to play with them. Mariel started out with an interest in travel photography and after what she describes as a "sublime experience" in a Japanese toy shop she became enthralled with photographing miniatures, specifically Barbies with a feminist, homicidal, psycho-sexual edge. Mariel describes her fascination with the Barbie doll,

Barbie was designed as the woman that every girl would want to be, and that every man would want to fuck. Her body design, the blonde hair, the tiny waist, the perky tits - all part of this new feminine ideal to be held up as a guiding beacon of womanhood. and yet - outside of an aesthetically enhanced sector of society, the number of women who actually look like that naturally is decidedly small. The Sex life of the Girl with no Genitals. Definitely NSFW.

Considering the anatomy and design of the Barbie and placing it in situations ranging from mass murder, cannibalism, sodomy, and abortion creates an uncomfortable dissonance that is just way too far out and groovy for words. Mariel describes her message,

I don't generally like to be all moralistic and preachy, there's enough people out there who get off on the sound of their own voice. But every now and then some things I notice just need to be processed in a different way.

You can order prints of Mariel's work, which can be printed on anything from greeting cards to large canvas mounts. Her print work ranges from $60-$160, which is a bargain considering how big a conversation piece these puppies are, perfect for any cocktail party. I think I'll get a triptych to hang in my bathroom! Here's a little gallery of my favorite pieces as seen on her website. Some NSFW Via ONTD