4th Annual Holiday Contest

It's that time of year again… my annual holiday contest starts TODAY!

TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN:

Step 1. First: you must either already be a newsletter subscriber, or sign up now (fill out the form at the top right hand side of my blog that says "sign up for Margaux Lange Art Jewelry News") Rest assured, this will NEVER be abused. Your subscription will simply allow me to better keep in touch with exciting news about my work! Emails are sent no more than twice a month.

Step 2. Next: take a guess… how many Barbie arms do you think are inside the container in the photo below:

Pick a number, any number!

Step 3. Leave your guess in a comment on this blog post.

PLEASE NOTE:

* The person who guesses the number first -or closest to the number- WINS!

* Contest closes on Thursday, December 16th at 7:01 am. No more guesses will be accepted after that.

* The winner will be notified here on the blog on Thursday so don't forget to check back!

* This should go without saying, but… only one guess per person please.

* There are plenty of numbers to go around… it is wise to check the comments and see what other people have guessed before choosing your number! It would be a shame if someone else picked the same number first and won the prize.

AND SPEAKING OF PRIZE…

…the winner will receive this lovely Smile Necklace!

© Margaux Lange
Made of: sterling silver, salvaged red lipstick Barbie doll smile and pigmented black resin.
Oxidized finishing, 18" sterling silver cable chain with lobster clasp closure.
Pendant Measures approx. 1" in diameter. Signed by yours truly!

This contest is always fun for me, and it's my opportunity to give back to YOU, to let you know how much I appreciate your continued support. So… happy holidays and happy guessing!

Alex Heller

This short film is by a seventeen year old named Alex Heller. It's one of the most hauntingly beautiful, creepy, heart wrenching things I've seen in a long time (or perhaps I'm just feeling a bit sensitive these days?) Either way, you should watch. I'd love to hear what you guys think. I haven't been able to shake it for days. Thanks to Tod Pardon for the link.

Creep (Radiohead) - Scala & Kolacny Brothers from Alex Heller on Vimeo.

The film is comprised of over 1500 still images shot on a Nikon D60. The song used is a cover of Radiohead's Creep performed by Belgium’s Scala & Kolacny Brothers.

vintage Barbie commercials

A wonderful customer of mine sent me this awesome Barbie commercial recently and I just had to share… thanks for thinking of me Nicole!



This one REALLY brings back memories for me…

A belated Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween weekend! I certainly did. My all-time favorite holiday always lifts my spirits and makes me feel like a kid again.

This year I went classic [read: easy] and dressed as a witch.

Dave and I went upstate to visit family and went trick-or-treating with our nieces and nephew around their neighborhood in Niskayuna. Here's a shot of our silly crew…

I'm definitely experiencing a bit of a candy-hangover. One of my biggest "treats" from the weekend however, was a garage sale in my sister's neighborhood where I was able to score 50+ Barbie dolls!

(note the one lone Ken in the bunch - lucky guy)

studio mess

The river of Barbies flowing through my studio was O.O.C. last week - I felt compelled to document it. (thank goodness I had it cleaned up in time for the FIT studio tour! yikes)

Even though this may appear to be utter chaos, (and OK fine, it kind-of is) they're all actually sorted into groups and are awaiting organization into their appropriate bins/boxes on the shelving units.

recent aquisitions

Sparkle Glitter Pink Have-a-Heart Bust Pendant anyone? I think I might just have to.

And does anyone recognize this handsome fella?! Whoa, throw back to my childhood.

DAM jewelry

The wonderful Alyson Stanfield of artbizcoach.com was recently visiting the Denver Art Museum when she encountered some of my production jewelry in their gift shop. It was the first time she had seen my work in person and Alyson said she and her fellow museum-goers had a lot of fun checking it all out.

Alyson thought I might like to see some photos of the display and she was right, (so thoughtful - thanks Alyson!) it's always interesting to see how a shop/gallery displays my work once it has left my studio!

For information about the museum or it's gift shop visit: denverartmuseum.org

Mattel orders shipped!

Pinwheel Vintage Shoe Ring

© Margaux Lange 2010
sterling silver, plastic Barbie doll shoes.

Today I shipped off round one of the orders from my Mattel collaboration, the Pinwheel Vintage Shoe Rings. Feels soooo good to have met my deadline!

The rings were available in red, black and white. I've sold out of the red, however, I still have a few white and black if anyone is interested in purchasing (feel free to email me: margauxlange[at]gmail[dot]com)

Pinwheel Vintage Shoe Rings
© Margaux Lange 2010
sterling silver, plastic Barbie doll shoes.

can't wait to carve into these beauties!

A couple of my recent eBay acquisitions… can you believe those green eyes?! I have to say, they are The. Most. Beautiful. green eyes I've EVER encountered on a Barbie doll before (and I've seen A LOT of Barbie eyes!) Green is hard enough to find as it is, let alone a pair as stunning as these! (the photo really doesn't even do them justice.) I can't WAIT to make something out of them.

And here's a lovely, sultry blue eyed princess I also won. Love the deep red lips on both also!

My studio life has been CRAZY busy lately - filling wholesale orders and working on tons of custom work. Unfortunately, my etsy shop has really been neglected because of this. However I hope to remedy that ASAP. Thanks for your inquiries about new work… I promise I'll be listing again as soon as I can. So many ideas, so little time…

Happy February everyone!

Daena Title

I'm LOVING the attention to color and reflection in these submerged Barbie oil paintings from artist Daena Title who was kind enough to allow me to share them here with you all…

Smile © Daena Title 2008

Sweater Barbie © Daena Title 2007

Big Barbie © Daena Title 2008

Dark Friends © Daena Title 2009

Pool Witch © Daena Title 2009

They bring back so many memories for me - bringing my Barbies to the beach back in the day. They also have a slightly sinister dichotomy I find appealing. Drowning with a grin anyone…?

Daena discovered my work from last year's NY Times feature - and then purchased a couple pairs of my earrings! I love connecting with other artists who make work with Barbie. Check out more of her amazing portfolio on her website: daenatitle.com

Bubblegum POP!

Bubblegum POP Neckpiece © Margaux Lange 2009
sterling silver, pigmented resins, plastic Barbie doll parts

3 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 1/2"

This necklace is headed to the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston, MA for POP Craft Exhibition Aug 8 - Oct 22, 2009. Opening reception will be on September 11, 6-8pm. For more information visit their website: http://www.societyofcrafts.org

I'm very pleased with this piece. It still references the Rubin's vase idea I started with, however it ended up becoming something entirely different than I had originally intended and as it turns out, I'm perfectly OK with that! It's important to allow the piece to just become what it wants to be sometimes. The good thing that happens with that, it that it can lead you into a whole new direction you didn't see coming. I now feel inspired to make other pieces in this vein and see where it leads (love that feeling!)

Bubblegum POP Neckpiece © Margaux Lange 2009

A Design Project

I was contacted a while back by a graphic design student named Teresa Rodriguez asking to use images of my work to create a catalog/presentation about my jewelry for her graphic design studies. I was flattered and honored to have been asked. Teresa sent me a copy of the finished catalog and it turned out wonderful so I thought I would share some pages from it here!

I particularly liked her idea to use bold Barbie silhouettes in white to showcase the jewelry, as if Barbie were literally wearing herself.

Teresa also included an interview style FAQ section in the catalog, along with contact information regarding the galleries carrying my work and where to find me online. It was all beautifully printed and bound into a book measuring 7" x 12."

I was blown away by her thoughtfulness to send me a copy of the catalog. I have often sent materials to students to use for various projects and rarely hear from them again, so it means a lot that she thought to contact me after the project was complete to thank me and to show me the results of her hard work. And as another wonderful little bonus, she sent me an actual Barbie and a Ken doll she had used in her presentation which she knew I would put to good use! Very sweet.

Teresa has now graduated college and is off to face The Real World, so to speak. Too see more of her portfolio or to contact Teresa for design projects, (full-time or freelance) visit her online at: www.coroflot.com/teddy I am confident she will go far in her design work. Thanks again Teresa and best of luck to you!

barbie art from back in the day!

At the top of the stairs in my parents house…

…hangs the collection of Barbies I transformed back in high school art class.
I thought it would be fun to share some pics! It's interesting to look back and see a path from where it all started.

man-barbie

zebra-barbie

carrot-barbie (this ones my favorite)

trippy-hippy-barbie

solid-silver-barbie

Oh boy.

Still getting it wrong, after 50 years.

No we don't.

new Tattoo Barbie

I don't have a problem with tattoos, or kids wanting to wear fake ones for that matter. (They get them at the dentist now-a-days for good behavior!) but this image circulating the internet really hit me. I think it's the placement on the Barbie's body in combination with Ken's name, like some messed up branding, or claim to ownership. Perhaps if it was a flower or a butterfly, like the first tattoo Barbie Mattel released in 1999 it would be a bit easier for me to swallow.

What's not clear is if this particular sticker is actually a part of the new Tattoo Barbie kit or not? From the pics I found online, it didn't appear to be, but I'm not sure. Regardless, the new Barbie is causing quite the stir among "concerned parents." But then, Mattel was about due for another controversy.

Happy Birthday Barbie

Barbie officially turns 50 today!

The Colette eshop now has my work listed online if you're interested in checking it out along with all the other amazing (and wacky) works. (A few of my favorites below) See more here.

(I SO want those leggings!)

What a B****

Valentines weekend was a great-time overall and I'm excited to have hit this big milestone birthday. I am SO ready for my 30's… bring it.

There was one big glitch in the b'day plans however: The Barbie Fashion show at Bryant Park which Mattel had so graciously sent me an invitation to. The only show we ended up seeing however, was the one on the stairs outside the entrance to the event.

After some issues with the trains, Dave and I arrived at Bryant Park at exactly at 3pm, when the show was to start, and were told that they were not letting any more people inside. "Full to capacity" and even if you had an invite, you could forget about getting in. Talk about disappointment! We hung around for a while on the off-chance more people would eventually be let in.

While it would have been exciting to see the show inside the tent, the show outside was equally as entertaining. It was an interesting display of how truly ugly the fashion world is, and I found it fascinating on many levels.

The circus comprised of an impressive array of dolled-up female and male fashionistas proudly accessorized in "holier-than-thou" attitudes, as well as rich white mothers in fur and botox, confused tu-tu clad daughters in tow. And then there was the power-trip security guard. (why is it always that guy? I guess he sort of has to be like that to get the gig, but still…) he obviously needed to puff himself up by enforcing his one and only authority in crushing the hopes of anyone who DARE attempt to pass.

I have to admit, his insults and sarcasm were actually sort of humorous at first: a 100 lb. fashionista would precariously climb the steps in her stilettos and attempt to prove his invisiblity and her importance by ignoring him altogether only to slam into his menacing face breaking the trance between her and her blackberry. "Do you know who I AM!?" she would demand, and he would simply look past her and snipe "nope, and don't care. You're not getting in. Buh-bye." but after watching this happen over and over, and over, it became increasingly upsetting how much he was enjoying this power. I had front row access on those stairs to a parade of some of the fugliest make-up, outfits, and attitudes I've ever experienced here in nyc and quite frankly, have little interest in getting that close to ever again. (A funny article about the over-booked Barbie show can also be read here.)

So eventually we gave up on the idea of ever entering Barbie's Dream House and instead traveled down to the LES to hit up THE best cupcake place in nyc, grabbed our dessert for later that evening and headed back into Brooklyn in time for our dinner reservations at Aurora, the restaurant I've been wanting to try for ages. All in all it was a lovely 30th birthday and Dave spoiled me rotten.

The etsy one day sale was a HUGE success and I want to thank everyone who participated on V-day, you're the best! And wow, it sure is true that everyone loves a sale!

If you're curious about the show inside, here's a little peak into what we missed:

http://thefashiondungjen.blogspot.com/2009/02/barbie-at-bryant-park-fashion-dungjen.html