Lost Little Dolls: Art Dolls for the Darkly Pursuaded

Like many people interested in lolita, mori, and dolly kei fashion, I'm really interested in dolls! Blythe dolls, Pullips, and ball-jointed dolls are  very popular, but I've always had a soft spot for one-of-a-kind creepy art dolls. They're fun to make, have a spooky kind of aesthetic, and are always unique. Even though these dolls creep some people out, they are definitely of interest to people of a dark-romantic persuasion. Here are some noteworthy doll artists for your perusal:

Shain Erin

Sabelia - Exquisite Monster Doll by Shain Erin

Mummy Doll by Shain Erin

Shain Erin makes macabre sculptures of mummies, monsters, and ghost children, all finished with care and aged to appear as artifacts. In addition to being deliciously creepy, the attention to detail on these dolls is superb. The fabrics and trims chosen for their clothes are hand dyed and distressed, and many feature tiny embroidery and decorative finishings (check out the stitching on the cuffs of that mummy doll above!) Shain Erin's dolls are made of paperclay, and can be viewed here: shainerin.wordpress.com

Scott Radke

Mermaid by Scott Radke

Tutu #2 by Scott Radke

Detail from Tutu #2 by Scott Radke

Scott Radke has had quite a successful career making his "marionette" sculptures as he refers to them. You may recognize his work from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland or The Birthday Massacre's music video "Blue". He has been published in Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose magazines, and has shown these dolls in countless galleries across the globe. While most people rightfully treat these objects more as fine art or sculpture, they would be perfectly at home on any avid art-doll collector's shelf. I am enamoured by these little guys' lovingly painted faces, that make them feel almost like illustrations rather than three-dimensional characters. Scott Raedke uses a variety of mediums, and sells dolls and prints on his website, scottradke.com.

Wooded Woods by Kamila Mlynarczyk

Lydia Turnpike: Visitor in the Night....
by Wooded Woods

Hands by Wooded Woods

Pregnant Pia by Wooded Woods

Wooded Woods is a doll line headed by artist Kamila Mlynarczyk. Her dolls are more character-oriented than any of the artists I've discussed previously, but the way she uses color, pays attention to the detail in their clothing, and really pays attention to the personality of each doll makes her one of my favorite doll artists. I love that so many of these dolls are *almost* pretty, but each is so flawed. I'm not a huge fan of her zombie style sculptures, but I'm in love with the Victorian-inspired cuties pictured above. You can see more of her work and find links to purchase here: http://woodedwoods.com/

Art dolls are great because there are virtually no limits! This post is mostly about polymer-sculpt dolls of a certain aesthetic, but there are plenty of great artists working with cloth dolls, custom BJDs, fashion dolls, and so forth. Maybe I'll do a post about some of those in the future! 

What do you think? Do these kinds of dolls creep you the heck out, or do you like them? Ever tried your hand at making your own?