above: detail of Giacomo, 2008
In the photographers own words:
How can we forget the scent of dolls? A smell of plastic mixed with vanilla, with an after-taste of Roberts talcum powder, that enchanted you at the first encounter. You felt you could eat them. Their names were Sissy, Corolle, Dennis and Stellina. There they were in the play-room, you pressed a button and like magic some sang, some walked and others did a pee.
They had blue or brown eyes, with those mechanical eyelids that closed when you laid them down. But sometimes they stuck and the eyes stayed open even when they slept. Their hair was curly or straight, red, black, fair or blue. Until the day a jealous little brother cut it all off.
Now, years later, you find the same faces here. They look at you with the same big eyes.
above: Edouardo, 2008
Their names are Sofia, Luigi, Filippo, Melissa, Giordano, Gioia, Lucrezia. They talk, laugh, dance and joke… like children. Because that’s what they are.
above: Sara, 2008
Children we ask too much of, to be perfect, like dolls.
above: Cristina, 2008
Who speak at least two languages correctly, go to lessons in riding, dancing, swimming, judo, singing, fencing and athletics.
above: Julia, 2008
Children who behave themselves at the table, who know when to speak and when not to. And who don’t whine too much.
above: Lorenzo, 2008
Children who have become sons and daughters of perfection, pretense and image, manipulated by the media and the social context and who are inevitably losing their naturalness.
above: Liera, 2006
This is The Puppet Show, the new artistic project by the photographers Winkler+Noah: 30 portraits of children from two to eight years old, taken very naturally and transformed into dolls by a subtle play of retouching.
above: detail of Beatrice, 2006
The photo of Beatrice, the blonde child whose portrait is the symbol of the show, has already received two of the most important awards on the international photographic scene: American Photography of New York and publication in the volume “200 Best Photographers Worldwide” by Luerzers Archive.
The proceeds of the works displayed will go as charity to Epsilon, the non-profit organization which has always dedicated itself to the defense of children in the most distressed areas of the world.
The project will be transformed into a travelling show in Europe, collected into a book with all the photos, the credits and the stories of the protagonists. An exhibit which becomes a starting point for reflection, sociological research and introspection, to better understand ourselves and the world around us. And to understand that the best present we can give to children is to let them be children.
Here are all 30 images from the project. Please click on each photo to enlarge:
Each print is available in a limited edition; signed, numbered and embossed:
The book (shown below) is a signed, hardback bound, 80 page book limited to 500 editions, contact them to purchase.
Winkler + Noah Photography
WINKLER + NOAH
ph. +39 348.56.68.284
wn@winkler-noah.it