Andrew Jenner
Contemporary Artist
About me
I create artworks using unwanted and discarded dolls, many of which I find in charity shops. I either dismantle them and combine their parts to create composite beings, or present them in ways that contradict their intended purpose. My starting point is always a doll, with intention emerging through the addition or removal of body parts and accessories.
Spotlight on 'The Good Wife'
Growing up in a homophobic environment in the 1980s, I wasn't allowed to play with dolls. As an adult and an artist I celebrate the freedom to use them to subvert the conventional gender roles enforced during my childhood. This is reflected in one of my personal favourite pieces 'The Good Wife' which I photographed in my greenhouse where I capture much of my work for the great natural light.
A parody of ‘The Good Wife’s Guide’ rumoured to have been published in Housekeeping Monthly in 1955, this piece mocks outdated gender roles by reimagining them in the current and more liberated age.
The original article featured bullet points advising wives on how to prepare for their husbands’ homecomings, including meal preparation, personal presentation and generally putting his needs first.
One of these bullets states ‘Be a little gay and a little bit more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.’
