Reflections of Femininity: Unveiling the Uncanny in Sam Millers' Dolls
Dolls serve as objects onto which projections are cast, embodying both the idealised and despised elements of the viewer's unconscious conditioning. For some, dolls are comforting; for others, they are unsettling. They can represent prescribed, acceptable female characteristics or distorted figures we seek to reject. As a result, the doll confronts us with our own subjective beliefs and biases.
The doll's analogue can be cute, yet simultaneously disquieting and uncanny—qualities that make them an ideal canvas for Sam Miller's work. Using vintage fabrics, found objects, and hand-sewn techniques, she subverts the conventional ‘cosy’ perceptions of craft objects.
Her dolls exist either as 'free-range' or contained within sealed shadow boxes, reflecting the varied experiences of individual women and the societal expectations imposed on them. These works reference voodoo dolls, poppets, and 19th-century peddler dolls, and metaphorically "wear their lives on their sleeves." Themes of domesticity, motherhood, and self-determination recur throughout her creations, reflecting the unfolding journey of female life—from childhood innocence through the complexities of ageing, to the wisdom of old age and beyond.
Sam’s dolls challenge the viewer to confront not only societal roles but also the darkness, introspection, and transformation inherent in every woman’s life.
Work and text by Sam Miller.
Selvedge issue 121: Adorable exploring the meanings and ideas of 'cute' is out now in digital and hard copy.
Find out more and order your copy:
www.selvedge.org/products/issue-121-adorable
The doll's analogue can be cute, yet simultaneously disquieting and uncanny—qualities that make them an ideal canvas for Sam Miller's work. Using vintage fabrics, found objects, and hand-sewn techniques, she subverts the conventional ‘cosy’ perceptions of craft objects.
Her dolls exist either as 'free-range' or contained within sealed shadow boxes, reflecting the varied experiences of individual women and the societal expectations imposed on them. These works reference voodoo dolls, poppets, and 19th-century peddler dolls, and metaphorically "wear their lives on their sleeves." Themes of domesticity, motherhood, and self-determination recur throughout her creations, reflecting the unfolding journey of female life—from childhood innocence through the complexities of ageing, to the wisdom of old age and beyond.
Sam’s dolls challenge the viewer to confront not only societal roles but also the darkness, introspection, and transformation inherent in every woman’s life.
Work and text by Sam Miller.
Selvedge issue 121: Adorable exploring the meanings and ideas of 'cute' is out now in digital and hard copy.
Find out more and order your copy:
www.selvedge.org/products/issue-121-adorable