Thrift Store Narrative

This was an assignment where we had to collect random objects from a thrift store and then come up with some kind narrative to support our finished sculpture.  we were encouraged to alter the objects, set them up in different positions, and basically do whatever we wanted to get our story across. 

The objects I chose to focus on were porcelain dolls.  My idea came from the fact that as I child I used to believe that my toys were real and that they would come to life whenever I left the room.  I was inspired by the story of The Velveteen Rabbit in which the love and imagination of a child could make a toy come alive.  But what happens when toys break or kids grow up?  I imagined that these toys had to recreate themselves, rebuild themselves into something new.  One doll is seen sewing the other one together, holding the needle and thread.  These new recreations would never be as nice and beautiful as the originals because they lack the love and imagination they once had.  I stitched the phrase "even things die" onto a piece of paper and surround the modified dolls with things that were once living and are now dead such as the rat skeleton, the turtle shell, a dead lizard, and a dried up dragon fly.  My idea was to use these once living specimens along with these "dead" toys to show that yes, even things die.