Playing With Art & Barbies

Artful Behavior

Mardie Rhodes with her mini-me Barbie. Above: original miniature artwork in a Barbie bathroom, below: residents enjoy the dog park

Playing With Art

and Barbies by Tina Manzer

During the pandemic shutdown, artist and journaler Mardie Rhodes started a dollhouse project of sorts in her home in the Pacific Northwest. It combines several of her loves, particularly art, Barbie dolls, and storytelling. What began as a miniature art museum with a café and gift store, galleries, and a staff of Barbie docents, has become an entire community. “Barbieville” features two museums, a dog park, cocktail lounge, sewing studio, hair salon, community kitchen, co-living apartments, and a garage to house an entire fleet of Barbie vehicles.

“I’ve always made ‘stuff,’” Mardi explains on her website, laughingmamastudio.com. “My dad, a journalist, used to joke that he could take me anywhere and I would occupy myself for hours if I had a pencil and paper. My mother and grandmother were artists, so I’ve grown up with creative people around me all my life. I am grateful that retirement has given me an opportunity to focus on my art practice fulltime and fuel my delight in making and creating. I enjoy exploring the intersection of spirit, art and humor in my work.”

Mardie received her first Barbie when she was nine. Today that original doll is the doyenne of Barbieville; retired and living in a Barbie dream house, alone since the death of her Ken. Each of the village’s 60 or so residents, including GI Joes and Creatible World dolls, has been given a backstory full of personality traits and purpose within the community. Lily, a cook in the community kitchen, is famous for her phenomenal pho. Summer is a special Barbie who lives with two caregivers because she believes she is a real princess. Hank is a GI Joe who has PTSD, and feels most comfortable outside, cooking on the grill. Red, another GI Joe, is a pianist.

“I do mixed media art mostly which enables me to use a variety of art products,” she explains. “Actually, the art practice has helped inform Barbieville in terms of construction and decoration. I use hand-printed or painted papers for wallpaper in several of the houses. I also spray paint and texture the furniture and appliances.