- My art can best be described as Barbie art.

(uptempo music) In a nutshell, I use Barbie and Ken as a catalyst to display my artistic vision.

(uptempo music) The Barbies that I choose for my art generally are either the vintage Barbies or the vintage-inspired Barbies.

And by that, I mean Mattel makes an entire line of Barbies that have the vintage face molds.

So they still have that great 60s look to 'em, but they're newer dolls, they're reproduction dolls.

So I can get them for a decent price without spending collector prices.

And then I can still maintain that vintage aesthetic for my art.

(uptempo music) So the ideas for the photo shoots themselves kind of come in, it's funny because, there's not like a real set way that I come up with them.

I'll have some general ideas floating around, and then I could be watching a movie, or looking at Barbie accessories online and all of a sudden a certain outfit will spur an idea for a shoot.

(uptempo music) Or for example, I had, I love Godzilla.

And I love Godzilla movies.

And I had always been thinking of doing a Barbie versus Godzilla shoot.

And it wasn't until I found an actual Godzilla toy that was the same size as Barbie, which I was not even aware existed.

And when I found that, then the shoot could progress, and the concepting really kind of gelled together.

(bright music) When I was a kid, I had a huge arsenal of toys.

I mean, I grew up in the 80s, so I mean, that is the mecca of toy amazingness.

So I had Legos and Playmobils and Barbies and everything under the sun.

My Little Pony, everything.

So for the Barbies that I had were the 80s Barbies, which are very particular, cool, superstar-era of Barbie.

I never had a Dreamhouse and I didn't have a Ken, but I had just these great 80s outfits and I had this really cool pool, and I don't know, it just, it was very fitting for the 80s.

Like everything about their outfits, and everything just screamed 80s.

♪ Barbie ♪ - [Narrator 1] The Barbie Workout Center comes with an exercise cycle and everything you see here.

Barbie doll sold separately.

New, from Mattel.

- So I worked at a photo lab, and just printed black and white all day long.

So I completely segued not only my professional, but my artistic, sort of process, all to photography, at that point.

And I did that for years.

And that's sort of how I started expressing myself artistically with photography, was because of this black and white job.

And it wasn't until that industry started shifting to all digital that I knew that everything that I did was gonna change.

So I had gone back to school and studied commercial and digital photography and it was at that point that I started adding Barbie into the mix, and it really spiraled from there.

I didn't originally assume when I started working with Barbie that that was going to be what I'm doing now, 16-plus years later.

But it was the thing that I created that was like the perfect combination of everything that I wanted.

I wanted to be an artist.

I love Barbie, of course.

I mean, you kind of have to, if you do what I do.

And I love 50s and 60s aesthetic.

Like that's my visual, my favorite sort of visual palette, is that vintage era.

(upbeat music) Why Barbie is still relevant is such a complex question.

It's a toy that has been in production since 1959 without any ceasing.

I mean, it has never stopped being in production.

So you have the nostalgia factor, you have the collector factor, you have people that, I mean I have 100 dolls, and I am, I mean, believe me, there are people with much vaster collections than I have.

And that's a very active market that has never gone away.

And then on top of that, you have a standard play line, you have a line of toy that's still being created for children.

(upbeat music) There's no other toy that commands cultural icon status like Barbie, and she has for decades.

(upbeat music) Being an artist in Minnesota is different than other places, in that I feel like we have a really larger sense of community in Minnesota.

And I think that Minnesota becomes very small very quickly.

And by that I mean so many artists in the state know each other, or have heard of each other, or go to each other's openings.

There's just such a sense of community here that it just feels very special here, and very welcoming to artists.

And I just think that's beautiful.

(upbeat music) This summer I've been asked, probably more than anything, how the "Barbie" movie has impacted my art, and my business in general.

I had an artist friend of mine who was my booth neighbor at an art fair, say to me, she's like, "Next summer is either gonna be your worst nightmare, or just an absolute dream."

And of course it's actually been an absolute dream.

(dramatic music) I actually do a sizable amount of Minnesota-themed, like Barbie and Ken out and about, especially in Minneapolis.

It's a theme that I actually need to revisit, because people connect with them very nicely at art fairs because it's almost like a little fun snapshot of maybe a place that you'd like to be at.

As somebody who's lived in Minneapolis pretty much my entire adult life, I like giving some little shout-outs to my city, like First Avenue, or the blue rooster at the Walker.

And then of course, the State Fair, granted that's not Minneapolis, but they have to be at the State Fair for a couple pieces too.

(gentle music) So my husband is my greatest partner with everything.

Not only are we life partners, we've been together 30 years, and he's very intimately involved with all photos that I do.

He is the final say when I'm working on a piece.

It's never done until he thinks it's good.

♪ Gentle whisper from a fan ♪ - What does Barbie specifically mean to me?

And I think what she does mean to me is that I actually feel like I represent what she means to people in the most pure form, which is that Barbie can be anything and anybody can be Barbie.

I don't look like a Barbie, but I'm somebody who wanted to be an artist my entire life.

And I literally live my dream every day, and it's because of Barbie.

So I mean, if that's not like the epitome of Barbie, I don't know what is, so.. (gentle music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) - [Narrator] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Mark and Margaret Yackel-Juleen, on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Windom, Minnesota.

On the web at shalomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria, Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

The Lake Region Arts Council's arts calendar, an arts and cultural heritage funded digital calendar showcasing upcoming art events and opportunities for artists in West Central Minnesota.

On the web at lrac4calendar.org.

Playing today's new music, plus your favorite hits, 96.7 KRAM, online at 967kram.com.

(upbeat music)