Untitled 1935

This photograph was made by Hans Bellmer, though I can’t tell you exactly when. It has a kind of collage feel, with the dismembered doll against the quilted background. It's the textures that really get me here. The contrast between the soft, almost fluffy hair and the smooth, hard surfaces of the doll’s limbs is really interesting. You can imagine Bellmer really working with the materials, arranging and rearranging them to create this unsettling image. It makes me think about process – not just the act of taking the photograph, but also the way the artist plays with objects and forms to create something new. I keep coming back to that hoop, slightly off-center. It’s like a frame within a frame, drawing your eye to the strange composition and highlighting the doll's disembodied state. This piece reminds me of Louise Bourgeois, who also explored themes of trauma and the body through unsettling imagery. In the end, art is all about the conversation and Bellmer offers us plenty to consider.