Installation

What a surreal image - so unlike your regular work. The opposite of a faceless society, for sure - but all faces, no bodies possible. Perhaps meant to be all of the people who have passed silent judgment on us, or gone by us without looking at us

Should I recognize the faces? I don't, but they don't seem to care, either. Nor do they look like women I would want to know well. Something very unsettling.

I think this aroused my unconscious, Bob, but non-verbally, so I have no idea what it's about either. I see it as a trifle exciting rather than unsettling, but maybe I'm making too nice a distinction.

This may be another example of the unconscious influence of pop art -- Warhol's repetition and variation. Maybe my unconscious is suggesting a variation on Warhol's composition.

Vamps and Nazi soldiers, that's what they are.A step back into 30s Germany.

Take your time. Mannequins have unlimited patience.

Always ready for their close-up, TLC. Another thing that interests me is that when they have hads they often don't have the rest of their bodies, and when they have the rest of their bodies they often don't have heads.

Well, that might be a Lego type of approach enabling changes to be made economically. or it might relate to Identity, which is a fundamental metaphysical issue. Or it could be a dark side of sexual power politics. Or a freewheeling expression of an artistic nature. Or simply bad management of resources and/or failure to replace broken parts. You can always tell when a clothing shop is in freefall: the dummies have chipped noses and imprecise joins of their limbs.

Most of them don't even have provisions for joining heads to bodies. TLC. These heads are both male and female, so I don't know about sexual politics. Even full-bodied mannequins these days often lack faces. Perhaps a result of declining individuality, largely due to the success of mass marketing.

Well, everything has to be paid for, including mannequins. That's why it no longer takes two assistants to sell you a nice shirt wrapped in tissue paper and inside a posh cardboard box. What is a shop assistant anyway? What is a shop?

And the posher shops used to have models, didn't they? Now even Chanel and Ferragamo are in malls.

I find these mannequins very spooky! I like what you've done with this shot though..........the dark background and lighting is very harsh and perfect for a conversion to black and white!

Imagine waking up in a room to find this lot staring down at you....................they're the stuff of nightmares..!!

Aha! I'm reminded of one of the popular images of 30s Germany -- vamps and Nazi military. Of course I'd have the luck to wake up with the soldiers.

Great, a spooky and surreal image

Thanks, Stoker. I'm getting more disturbed myself the more of these comments I read.

Unlimited ! Fine work, John !

Thanks, Ulrich.

A beautiful nightmare

Warhol with perspective, I think, Sarah. Once again my unconscious revises the great artists.

There's a Warhol show at SFMOMA right now. Haven't gone yet, I usually wait for the crowds to thin.

I had a quick look at the website. It looks as if they have the good stuff. There was a commercial exhibition here a few years ago that, um, offered a less interesting and comprehensive selection than I had hoped for. It had some good information, though, as I recall.

I have seen the recent edit in colour. Your sterling efforts should not go unremarked. Nevertheless, this B&W edit was, and remains, the acme of excellence. Mannequins and B&W are a potent combination.

Thank you very much, TLC. If I had to choose between the two I'd probably choose this one.

I loves me my misterioso.

I really like both version - but this b&w is wonderful. You did a great job of having good contrast but keeping detail in the faces. Maybe I'm just more in love with portraits in b&w, and even though these are not 'alive' faces, they still come through strong in b&w.