Valley of the Dolls

Valley of the Dolls is a photo montage by Darlene Foster printed on fine art German etching paper.

The title of this piece came from the 1966 novel by Jacqueline Susann, "Valley of the Dolls". The book used the term "dolls" as a euphemism for drugs and how substance abuse is reminiscent of children clinging to toy dolls for comfort. It was the underlying theme in the pop culture classic about 3 women looking for fame and fortune in the entertainment industry and turning to "dolls" to deal with trials and tribulations. The background image is an abandoned building that Darlene captured by the Delaware Water Gap in Sussex County, NJ. She was drawn by the weathered, pastel tones of paint and how the bare tree limbs on one side arched protectively over the roof. The building sat very closely to a road, so for composition, she added a pond of water with a cluster of trailing vines from Spotswood, NJ to the foreground. The little girl, with such a sweet expression, is from a vintage photo collection of the artist. The doll being held is from an estate sale, as well as the other dolls lurking around in the background. Darlene then added some clouds, a full moon, texture, and a couple of crows to complete the mood for Valley of the Dolls. 

This is a 20x16 photograph, however it is matted and framed to be 24x20.