Trophy Wife Barbie
The main goal with this project is to highlight the limitations of labels and to explore gender issues and the modern female identity.
The most frequently asked question is Why does Barbie have antlers?
Short answer: The antlers are a physical representation of a label imposed on her, likening her to a hunting trophy; something to be owned.
Barbie, as a timeless icon – recognized by everyone but carrying meaning that varies tremendously with the viewer – affords a medium that’s highly relatable and amusing.
The work is an invitation to consider what might happen if we focus on the things we have in common, rather than fear the things that make us different. That, and owning the shit out of whatever you’re unwilling or unable to change.
The Trophy Wife Barbie concept originated in 2011 with a piece of crudely made wall art from a Barbie found at a thrift store and a piece of off-cut wood in the shape of a trophy mount.
In 2015 it was Winter and I was living in Canada. The previous year was spent living in Thailand and the year before that I was backpacking through parts of Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East. To say I was emotionally exhausted would be an understatement. My marriage was falling apart and I had no energy left to initiate any new relationships so I turned online to see if I could connect with people through social media. That’s when the Trophy Wife Barbie Instagram was born.
The account starts on the day of her divorce, she’s no longer a wife and she’s trying to navigate her new identity.
