famous puppeteers. Dolls of modern masters. Incomparable beauty Barbie

The most interesting event for puppeteers and connoisseurs of this art is the annual exhibition - a bright, colorful, and truly fabulous show takes place in Moscow for the eighth time. I want to note that on Sunday, the 17th is the last day.

As they used to call into tents with spectacular performances: “Hurry to see!”

4 thousand square meters of the prestigious exhibition hall in the center of the capital is occupied by the exposition of the best doll artists from around the world: 26 countries, hundreds of authors, thousands of dolls, Teddy bears, installations and projects created specifically for this show.

Every year, the organizers of the exhibition choose dolls that show off on the posters of the event. This year, the “faces of the exhibition” are the works of Hildegard Günzel – Magi and Allure dolls. These beautiful fairies have their own story, invented by the author, according to which they came to the world of people to teach them how to become better and kinder.

I'll show you a few.

Dolls by master Oksana Sakharova, Wings project

Doll Hildegard Gunzel

Hildegard Günzel is one of the most famous and eminent puppet masters of our time. Having a diploma from the German School of Fashion, she became interested in dolls and their design; her first works were dolls-decorations on a string. The theme captivated the designer: Gyuntsel began to work with plaster, later she became interested in puppets and a boudoir doll. Her current technique is painting on white porcelain with a special wax coating, with which Günzel achieves a stunning naturalism - "know-how" and the secret of a master.

Boudoir doll Mikaela (92 cm), master Anna Terekhova

From year to year, the exhibition exhibits the works of laureates of the Pandora Platinum Prize, the founders of which are the Foundation for the Culture of Support and Encouragement of the Development of the Puppet Theater “Puppets of the World”. The award is intended to reflect the path passed by the masters in order to evaluate the contribution of each artist to puppetry.

The Hazeki Office team presents a new exposition of the strongest Japanese puppeteers UNIQUE DOLL ART.

UNIQUE DOLL ART project (Japan).

Master Olga Sidorova in her project ZODIAC presents 12 porcelain dolls, each of which is based on paintings by Peter Lowman. Each sign of the zodiac expresses the individuality of a person and symbolizes his soul and emotions - this is what the artist tried to reflect in her works.

Olga Sidorova, ZODIAC project

Porcelain doll Margarita Tsvetkova "Girl with forget-me-nots".
Photo by Anastasia Gusarova

("Dollhouse")

Textile dolls of the participant of the exhibition "The Art of the Doll" Elena Gribanova
("Dollhouse")

Opening a gallery in the Central House of Artists in 1997, Irina Myzina dreamed of opening to the Russian public a new kind of art for our country - artistic collectible dolls. Irina, together with a team of enthusiasts, proved that the author's artistic dolls are a separate art direction, as significant as painting or sculpture.

Petersburger Tatyana Bun, whose name is known not only in Russia, but also in America, Europe, Japan and Israel, makes dolls that can be capricious, choose outfits and raise children.

Recently, an exhibition of dolls by Tatyana Bun was held at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna.

Doll as a gift

When Tatyana Bun had a little daughter, perestroika was underway. It was hard to even get food, let alone toys for a child.

One day my husband's grandmother saw people taking a German doll to the dump and asked: "Give it to me - let my great-granddaughter play," recalls Tatyana. - So the first old toy came into our family.

Tatyana, a housewife who at one time received the profession of an analytical chemist, had to try herself for the first time as a restorer.

The doll was very beautiful, but too big - taller than my daughter, so at first the child could not play with it. But friends who came to visit, constantly took the doll in their arms and nursed her, - says Tatyana. - Psychologists have a theory according to which a child, an adult and a parent live in each of us. Apparently, communication with a beautiful toy helped my friends support the most direct and resourceful part of the soul - the child's.

Tatyana did not know psychological theories then. But she began to collect a personal museum of old toys. Someone approved this undertaking, someone said: “Why are you doing stupid things?”, And everyone flocked to Bun and flocked dolls with the most unusual stories.

One of them was given to me by a very old grandmother, Tatyana recalls. - During the revolution, rich people brought a toy to her father, a baker, to exchange for bread. Another doll was taken with her by her previous owners as they fled from hometown during the Great Patriotic War. Imagine, a huge number of necessary things were left at home, and they decided to save the toy - it was so dear to them.

Dreams of a harlequin

In the past, the collection of Tatyana Bun numbered more than 500 items. Today, she only has about a hundred favorite exhibits at home. The rest was transferred to one of the museums in Chelyabinsk. There are many reasons. One of them - new love, whom Bun met during a tourist trip to the Czech Republic.

He sat behind glass in a rocking chair. Sad pale face, elegant black and white suit.

I liked the small harlequin toy in the window of the jewelry store so much that I wanted to buy it,” recalls Bun. But she didn't sell. Then I decided that by all means I would make a doll myself.

It is now in Russia that there are a huge number of courses on the author's doll and the Internet, where a lot of information has been collected on the "doll" topic. Then, in 1997, Russian puppeteers could be counted on the fingers, and Tatyana had to rely only on herself. Upon returning home, she sat down at books and reference books, diligently writing out all of them. useful information. A few months later, Bun understood the technology of making a doll. Three weeks later, her first toy was born - a glamorous courtly harlequiness in a black velvet suit.

Since then, my dolls have become much more complicated, - says Tatyana. - It now takes two to three months to produce one piece. The most difficult thing is to make fingers and paint a face. At this stage, even one wrong move can spoil the whole work.

Tatyana Bun's dolls are conditional. Their faces are pale, their eyes are huge, their bodies are sometimes too long and thin. Only as an experiment, the master makes works that look like people to the smallest detail.

One of my dolls even has life lines on the palms, but if I were a collector, I wouldn't buy one. Dolls are dolls and people are people: I never forget that these are two around the world and there is a boundary between them. That is why, in principle, I do not make portrait dolls that are now popular, which completely repeat the facial features of politicians or stars.

Angels and manyunya

A candle, a piece of polypropylene covered with a white cloth, a bag with shreds of synthetic silk. Tatyana's desk is in almost perfect order. The puppeteer burns the silk circles and sews them to the canvas. With each stitch, the design in her hands more and more resembles wings.

I first saw an angel at the age of four - on an icon that belonged to my great-grandmother, Tatyana recalls. - He was all of himself so magical! It probably became one of the main impressions of my childhood. Sometimes I woke up in the morning, saw a feather falling out of the pillow, and thought that it was my wings that had grown at night, that I had flown and dropped the feather.

With age, "angelic" impressions, of course, were forgotten. But not forever. In 1998, aspiring puppeteer Bun made her first angel.

How my childhood fantasies resurfaced in my head, I don't know, she says. - Probably, it was the angels who whispered to me.

Now blond winged creatures - small and large, awake and sleeping - are born in the workshop of Bun several times a year. Together with luxurious ladies and harlequines, they have become the main feature of Tatyana's author's style. However, Bun has other characters known to Russian and foreign doll collectors - a series of papier-mâché cats, figurines Japanese girls, goats made of white clay, dressed up in Russian folk sundresses.

And I also do manyun. - Tatyana shows the correspondent of "RG" a funny rag doll with two pigtails, dressed in a crepe de chine dress and a white sundress. Simple and soft, it is nothing like most of Bun's other works. - On them I have a rest from difficult works. After all, a puppeteer is such a profession where it is impossible to go on vacation. You need to have insane willpower to say to yourself: "Stop, for the next month I will not go into the workshop." So manyuni is the most accessible way of leisure for me.

Puppet whims

Do not believe those who say that dolls are living beings. However, do not believe those who believe that they are inanimate.

Porcelain, textiles, lace and scraps "humanize" under the hands of the author, absorbing his energy. As a result, dolls can show their will and even be capricious, Tatyana Bun admits.

Some ladies do not want to wear the outfits that the artist intended for them: the costumes have to be altered two or even three times. Even harder to come up with new job name.

For one of my dolls, I went through more than twenty names, but none of them suited her, - says Tatyana. - The work had to be taken to the exhibition, and in last moment before leaving, I heard Beethoven's "Fur Elise" on the radio. Whether it was a coincidence or mysticism, but the doll "agreed" to become Eliza without any objections. So talk after that, how animated they are.

Capricious or obedient, live or toy, dolls can perform another completely human function: they raise children.

An antique or collectible doll allows a child to live in a world of fragile things, awakening in him a sense of tact and delicacy, says Bun. - Unlike modern rubber or plastic toys, you can't throw them against the wall or drop them on the floor. In addition, they encourage girls to be creative. This is for Barbie any costume you can buy in the store, but here you have to pick up a needle and thread and come up with something yourself.

Dolls are the favorites of many girls, they are not just a toy, but rather the first little friend to whom the baby will entrust the first secrets, whom she will look after and take care of. Recently, it is becoming less and less common to see a really beautiful doll on the market, mainly consumer goods or Barbie or Cindy that have become traditional are presented there. High-quality and really beautiful products are made to order. Looking at the dolls, you involuntarily begin to understand why they used to be used as interior decoration.

One of the brightest examples of puppeteers' skill is the work of the Norwegian artist Sissel Skille. Looking at her work, it is impossible to imagine that this woman does not have an art education. She says that little children inspire her to create dolls.

As a child, Sissel dreamed that she would collect dolls, but her dream came true only by the age of 35 - she became a master who could make any masterpiece. She experiments with styles, materials, most often the artist creates dolls from cernit - a soft material similar to wax, from which she makes the head, legs and arms, while the body is plastic. The eyes are made of glass, and the hair is natural, all costumes are created by Sissel together with her mother. Each doll is individual, it is the brainchild of a craftswoman, which she cherishes very much. During the year, Sissel makes no more than 10 dolls.

Norwegian artist Kim Van de Wetering also makes handmade dolls.

She has been building her collection for over 10 years, she often makes amazing babies different ages, miniature, but incredibly charming.

The winner of competitions, a professional artist, does a very painstaking work, you want to admire her dolls, they seem so alive.

Interesting masterpieces can be made from less expensive materials. The Russian craftswoman Lydia Kalambet knows a lot about this, she even gives master classes, making one doll in skillful hands takes 1.5-2 hours.

Looking at these bright, funny toys, one cannot help doubting that they are made of obsolete nylon or woolen tights. Sewing the right outfit, shaping the head and body of the doll, and then coloring it is not an easy job, but the result is worth it.

Incredibly lively and beautiful puppets are created by Olina Wentzel, one of the most famous puppet artists in Russia. Her masterpieces are popular not only in our country, but also abroad. For a long time, Olina worked as a production designer in film studios and theaters, studied history and began to create collectible porcelain dolls.

Her beautiful dolls in historical costumes look irresistible, Olina Wentzel's exhibitions are held in museums of the country and abroad, the collection has been to Amsterdam, New York, Paris, Venice and other major cities. You can also purchase if you wish. porcelain doll Olina, but this pleasure will cost a lot, because the master uses the finest lace, antique fabrics, accessories, manually paints each part of the doll's body.

Swiss craftswoman with Italian roots Angela Sutter also creates her own little doll world. She searched for her style for many years, but now her dolls are very popular with collectors. The dolls are large, about 60-70 centimeters, the faces are painted by hand, the hair is real, the eyes are made of glass. Despite the fact that the faces of the dolls are similar, they are individual. Different hair, eyes, experiments with clothes make each product unique.

There are also dolls dressed up in clothes. different peoples peace. Angela tries to make the dolls beautiful, but at the same time, so that there is a somewhat childish negligence in their image, in order to emphasize that these are not just faceless creatures. The dolls cost around $2,000 and Angela doesn't make many dolls, so collectors line up.

Porcelain and vinyl dolls by Diana Effner are no less spectacular, the craftswoman has long ago opened her own courses for making masterpieces, her students are also recognized masters who make amazingly beautiful toys.

Diana Effner began making her first dolls while working as a teacher at an orphanage in Missouri. The hobby grew into a hobby, and then into a means of subsistence. Diana studied the secrets of craftsmanship, design, sculpture, technology for ten years, after which her dolls became recognized masterpieces. She did not make secrets from her work and opened a workshop where she talks about the materials, recipes and specifics of making porcelain collectible dolls, which have long become the love of her life.

Kukinova, a Russian master, she was one of the first to decide to revive art dolls. Her works occupy a worthy place on the shelves of collectors. Porcelain portrait and souvenir dolls are made with the highest precision and surprisingly realistic.

For clothes, the master chose clothes of the 18-19th century, which she also reproduces with high historical accuracy. Many dolls are made in a single copy, there are also limited editions - from 3 to 150 pieces. The master also makes clay and rag dolls, but nothing compares to the beauty of chiseled porcelain.

Of course, the craftsmen who make the most beautiful dolls, there are many in the world. There is even such a service as creating a doll from a photograph or a portrait, such joy is not cheap, but this is really an individual and very unusual gift!

Matryoshka is far from the only doll that has become a national symbol. Most of her foreign "colleagues" are 300 years older, although there are also younger followers. "Spark" tells about the dolls that conquered the world

Harlequin, before being made into a recognizable doll all over the world, was a famous character in the Italian theater of masks of the 16th century. Initially, the dupe and jester Harlequin was dressed in a costume resembling peasant rags. However, over time, when the image began to be replicated, it was dressed up. The costume became colorful, the patches on the fabric turned into bright diamonds. A couple of centuries later, Harlequin has already become a full-fledged doll, moreover, one of the main souvenirs of Italy.

Parsley

This doll, a classic example of a glove doll, has been known in Russia since the 17th century. Europe also has its own Petrushki: in Italy - Pulcinella, in France - Polichinelle, in England - Punch. Parsley is not just a puppet, it is a theatrical character that owes its popularity to performances at fairs. Well-known classical plots played out by "petrushkas": the scene with the bride, Petrushka's training in military service, Petrushka's treatment. Who does not know: Petrushka also has a full name - Pyotr Ivanovich Uksusov (this name is mentioned just in one of the scenes).

A voodoo doll

The purpose of this rag toy is the most mystical: it is believed that it can be used to influence a person. There is a version that Africans were doing this in Benin a thousand years ago, but the more popular version is that the doll appeared in Haiti in the 17th-18th centuries, along with the massive importation of slaves from Africa. In the United States and Cuba, it is more commonly referred to as "santeria". As for Europe, in many countries today piece goods are in great demand - voodoo dolls are purchased for "reprisals" against an unfaithful lover or an overly strict boss.

The kokeshi doll comes from Tohoku, in the northeast of Japan, and deserves special attention. Already at the beginning of the 17th century, she was quite popular with visiting guests: it was believed that these dolls had magical properties brought good luck and granted wishes. Today, 11 types of kokeshi are known (each of them has its own name). But the type is unchanged - a cylindrical body and a head. The doll has no arms or legs. It is believed that it was this type that inspired Russian craftsmen to create nesting dolls at the end of the 19th century.

Another famous Japanese doll, which is also considered the prototype of the matryoshka. Besides the fact that she has neither arms nor legs, she is also round in shape and bright - usually red - colors. Exact date birth has not been established - it is believed that the continuous production of daruma coincided with the beginning of the 17th century. But it was named after the founder of Zen Buddhism - Daruma. According to legend, he spent nine years of his life in meditation, after which his legs were taken away. Today, daruma helps to fulfill a wish - on New Year They write their name on the doll and make a wish.

paper doll

The first paper dolls with a wardrobe that also needs to be cut out appeared in Europe in the middle of the 18th century, and a little later in America. The press then wrote that the dolls would help little girls "show good or bad taste in clothes or hair." Especially famous were English paper dolls, whose creators drew the smallest details of the costume. The Americans, on the contrary, made the doll as accessible as possible - in the middle of the 19th century, the McLoughlin Brothers company sold dolls at minimal prices and in huge circulations.

Pinocchio

This wooden doll was born in 1883 after the publication of the book "The Adventures of Pinocchio. The Story of a Wooden Doll" by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi. The main character - a wooden boy with a nose constantly growing from lies - instantly took on a life of his own. Restaurants, children's clubs were opened in his honor and, of course, they released wooden dolls. Today they can be found all over the world, but Pinocchio is especially popular in Florence, where the author of the tale was born and died.

These figurine dolls with a disproportionately large head appeared at the end of the 19th century, but the Americans put their production on stream only in the 20s of the 20th century. The dolls were made of papier-mâché and depicted legendary baseball players. Then bubbleheads began to be produced in plastic, expanding the range: there were prominent actors, singers, cartoon characters and even politicians. Of the latter, the most notable were the bubbleheads of the Queen of England, Prime Minister Putin, President Obama, and Apple founder Jobs.

A cult doll for all little (and not so) girls was invented in 1959 in the USA, in the state of Wisconsin. The "mom" of the doll, Ruth Handler, was a stenographer for Mattel. She wanted to do perfect woman, and took as a basis the image of the heroine of erotic German comics Lily (early 1950s). During its existence, the doll brought its creator over $ 2 billion. From a national symbol, Barbie has long become supranational - it is believed that every 1-8 seconds in different parts of the world someone buys a Barbie.

Baby Born

In the late 1980s, the creator of this plastic baby, Australian Victor Prakas, wanted one thing: "To help the girl feel like a little mother." The idea was bought up and brought to perfection by the famous German company Zapf Creation. Now the doll really requires effort and money, which gives an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthat would have to be spent on a living child. Baby Born can cry, laugh, eat and go to the toilet. Food, clothes, shoes, diapers and other accessories are always available - of course, for a fee.

Prepared by Elena Barysheva