Mark Ryden Brings Out the Divine Feminism and Enchanting Surrealism In Barbie in Latest “Pink Pop” Exhibit

Mattel Creations asked iconic pop surrealist Mark Ryden to create a Barbie-themed exhibit, where he curated collectible toys, paintings, sketches and sculptures in his own vision, reflecting Barbie’s quintessentially limitless image.

The “Pink Pop” Kasmin exhibition ran from Nov. 11 to Dec. 11 at 8382 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, Calif. 

On the gallery’s entrance, bold white letters read “Mark Ryden x Barbie” in each of their signature scripts. Taking center stage was a life-size sculpture of Mark Ryden’s Nature Queen on polychrome wood. The sculpture is 72 inches high, 36 inches wide and 26 inches in depth. 

Covered from head to toe in animal heads, complete with a twisted crown of thorns, Nature Queen’s energy radiates over the exhibit, taking charge of the scene and drawing the immediate attention of anyone who may enter. 

Mark Ryden x Barbie. Photo by Lillian Dunn / Staff

“I envision Barbie as an icon of the feminine divine who presides over the natural world,” Ryden wrote on Instagram. “While masculine energy exploits the earth along with its non-human inhabitants, feminine energy reveres and nurtures the living world of which we are part.” 

Barbie’s relevancy grew in the mainstream alongside feminism and environmentalism which Ryden was able to witness as he grew. Today, Barbie’s cultural relevance remains in a variety of ways regarding feminism and beauty standards, proving she is an ever-influential character for the ages.

Although this may be his most wide scale intervention into Barbie’s world, Mark Ryden is no stranger to the blonde superstar. His first painting of Barbie, “Saint Barbie” (1994), depicts a young girl in a white babydoll dress, possibly made of satin, lined with a blue collar. On her enlarged, blonde head sits a pink headband. A tear rolls down her cheek. She is on her knees, praying before a perfect-bodied, naked Barbie doll with platinum locks rolling down her back, standing on a cloud of lush, pink glitter. In her innocence, the young girl idolizes Barbie’s figure and what she represents. “Saint Barbie” is both an ominous promise for the future of every young girl who aspires to the unrealistic perfection of the tiny-waisted, blemish-free icon of femininity and a recognition of her importance in popular culture from her inception to today. 

On the left side of the exhibit, there is a portion of space dedicated to black and white surrealism complete with a sculpture entitled “The Oculus.” An oil painting of two Barbie dolls on their way to a surrealist ball hangs beside the physical Barbie dolls, as well as a second oil painting of a surrealist eye. 

Mark Ryden x Barbie. Photo by Lillian Dunn / Staff

Ryden hosted a surrealist ball in 2015 in an attempt to emulate Salvador Dali’s style, which heavily inspired this portion of the exhibit.

“I have imagined Barbie attending our ball where dreams and reality converge,” Ryden wrote beside the “Surrealist Eye” oil painting. 

With blunt bobs and severe looks from each of the Barbies, these are perhaps the furthest from traditional Barbies that line the shelves of toy stores, almost eerie to view. They each wear floor-length gowns and represent polar opposites of one another in their black and white attire. Despite being monochromatic, this section of the exhibit visually pulls the observer in with hypnotism.

A frequent motif in Ryden’s work is the bee. In this exhibit, Ryden depicts Barbie as a bee herself in painting and doll form. He revealed in an Instagram post that the floral background was not his initial intention for the piece, but it evolved that way as he wanted to depict the “intimate connection” between flowers and bees. The flowers are large and intimidating, looking like they might come to life and attack at any moment. 

This Barbie, shown below, is covered from head to toe in black and yellow bee-fuzz. With no curves or skin to be found, this Barbie does not adhere to the traditional Barbie figure that is often sexualized and objectified by the public. Eyes to the side and her eyebrows raised, she exudes dominance and importance across the page, owning her space as a vital creature of nature. 

Mark Ryden x Barbie. Photo by Lillian Dunn / Staff

“There is a vital interconnectedness between all life in our world. Bees are an essential part of this web of life,” Ryden emphasized in his Instagram post. “Without pollinators, the cycle would break, and life as we know it would end. They are reminders of the delicate connections between all life forms on Earth.”

Mark Ryden x Barbie. Photo by Lillian Dunn / Staff

The “Pink Pop” Barbie, for whom the exhibit is named, is the most obvious fusion of styles between Ryden and Mattel. With giant pink hair, Barbie wears a cutesy dress and candy cane-striped leggings. She stands beside one of Ryden’s famous snow yaks in front of a chaotically pink scene filled with creatures and bustling life. 

Of his Barbie creations, the “Pink Pop” Barbie represents most what Ryden imagines Barbie’s world to be — vibrant, eclectic and larger than life. He designed her as the symbol she is, allowing his own style to transform her into a surrealist dream, like she’d been plucked right out of a Candy Land game board. 

In an alliteration written on the wall of the exhibit, Ryden explained that much like Barbie, he gravitates toward pink: “I produced my ‘Pink Pop’ portrait precisely for pink’s poetic power.” 

Unlike the other paintings that have their own dolls, “Pink Pop” has a miniature, limited-edition bag with polished pearls for its strap, much like the bag from his previous limited release collaboration with Paul Frank.

Mark Ryden x Barbie. Photo by Lillian Dunn / Staff

Aside from the beautiful finished creations, the exhibit included sketches and outtakes that  displayed Ryden’s process for each of the pieces. There were physical drafts of dresses, wigs and bags for the dolls hanging on the wall, along with a used pallet and an array of doll heads. 

Ryden’s artist statement was plastered on the wall to the right of the famous “Saint Barbie” piece that started it all.

Mark Ryden x Barbie. Photo by Lillian Dunn / Staff

“In my world, toys are not just for children. To me, some of them have an energetic presence comparable to a soul … Barbie has always been a part of my gang of inspirations. She has always had a very special place in my toy menagerie,” the statement reads. “Like me, Barbie grew up in the 1960s, during a time of great change. She was part of a zeitgeist, a tremendous feminine awakening that began to break through the patriarchy that has long dominated society … She is a symbol of aspiration itself; of feminine empowerment, possibility, and potential.”

Lillian Dunn is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at lbdunn@uci.edu.

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