Matroyshka Dolls at the Wurst Gallery

A simple idea executed perfectly: the Wurst Gallery sent a handful of artists completely undecorated matryokas and invited them to decorate them. Instead of the usual blossom-cheeked, bottom-heavy Russian peasants that usually end up on the dolls, the Wurst Gallery got everything from surprised looking elephants to killer robots.

All of the dolls are pretty neat, but some of the artist's statements are a hoot. Consider, for example, Shawn Wolfe, who made his matryoshka into an anti-consumerist statement. His description:

Your typical consumer. Green with envy. Eyes wide, dilated and watery... with panic! An insecure, doughy target to be reviled, pitied and kicked at repeatedly. Howling and seething with a WANT that oozes from his sickly pores, wreathing his yellowy carcass and clinging embarassingly to his backside. Then... then, the proud pink puff thrill of GETTING! Only to be soon followed by the shrunken cool blue lonely vacant empty dark night of HAVING. And finally the custom-fitted grave, into which he takes perhaps a gold tooth and little else. That's the idea behind my dolls and behind many other things I make.

Interestingly, his doll is selling for $500, although perhaps his complete disdain for people buying things is scaring off potential customers: it's still unsold.

From Russia Show [Wurst Gallery]