‘Baphomet Barbie’ by Argentinian artists Marianela Perelli and Pool Paolini.
 
In 2014 Argentina-based artists Marianela Perelli and Pool Paolini “redesigned” 33 Barbie, Ken and Skipper dolls into various historical religious figures such as Judas, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Buddha and Baphomet among others. The figures were a part of a show called “Barbie, the Plastic Religion” and as you might imagine there was a contentious backlash to Perelli and Paolini modified Barbie’s. Though it’s important to note that the talented pair presented one of their Barbies to Pope Francis which he accepted. So there’s that.

Though fans of organized religion will likely hurl the word “blasphemous” around when it comes to Perelli and Paolini’s plastic “gods” the artists have been very clear about their intentions, which believe it or not came from a positive place. Here’s more on that:

Provocation is part of our life and what we do, but it’s harmless, constructive and without bad intentions. Barbie and the Plastic religion came from a place of peace and love, and mutual respect for all spiritual, religious beliefs.

The exhibit is now on display at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery on Hollywood Boulevard through the end of December. In other good news the figures in the show as well as paintings, Ken as Santa (or “San Nicholas”) a Barbie and Ken nativity scene and the holy trinity of Ken as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus rolling around in a Barbie Porsche 911 can be yours if you’re flush enough. I’ve included loads of images from the show below as well as an amusing video featuring a fake “Barbie” commercial that must be seen to be believed.
 

‘Christo.’
 

‘Santa Veronica.’
 
More after the jump…

 
Introduced in the space age, gee-whiz year of 1959, the staggeringly popular Barbie and Ken have inevitably become symbols of America’s plastic essence. Both lack genetalia of course, and Barbie, were she to be transformed into a life-sized woman, would have an impossible 39-18-33 figure and a size 3 shoe. The Barbie spell is so powerful that the term “Barbie Syndrome” has been used to describe a phenomenon wherein a woman “attempts to emulate the doll’s physical appearance, even though the doll has unattainable body proportions.”

Anyway, it’s the insidious influence of Barbie that makes these platform shoes with Barbie and Ken heads in the sole so obscurely satisfying, if a little creepy. They’ve been spotted in the fashionable Harajuku district in Tokyo—the “Icy Wedge,” as it is called, comes from footwear designer Jeffrey Campbell’s summer 2013 collection. “Creative cosplayers in Harajuku have embraced the shoes wholeheartedly,” according to RocketNews24. The listed price (visible in one of the pics) is 28,080 yen, or about $240 in U.S. dollars.

Decapitating poor defenseless little Barbie dolls might be taken as stemming from a misogynistic impulse, so it’s good to see that there are Ken shoes as well. Actually, Ken kind of resembles Bob Dobbs, don’t you think?
 

 

 
More after the jump…