As mechanically oblivious (and sometimes guilt-inducing) gorging on social media venues consumes our lives, it is refreshing – to say the least- to find out that a book about dolls is being published. A book? Yes. About dolls? Yep. Some of us recognize the feeling; it’s like traveling back to the turn of the 21th century when publications on dolls were thriving, and sitting with a cocktail (or coffee) in hand pouring over photos and reading printed thoughts was a thing people did with their brains. A book! Think about that. Today, a book on dolls is an utterly rare occurrence. That this book documents the work of Julian S. Kalinowski, one of Dolldom’s most respected colleagues, makes the event even more monumental.
Reason by which Dolldom could not be more excited to share the news and the information as to how to get lucky and acquire what is, concurrently, a de facto anachronism and a celebration of unique doll making.
Dieter Warnecke’s book The Work and Art of Julian Kalinowski chronicles a pursuit of expression as to what a doll’s potential can be. No longer an object exclusive to beauty, the Kalinowski doll is a character and, like we wrote in a previous entry celebrating the tenth anniversary of the seminal Séverine, the essential vibe of a JSK creation is that of someone who identifies as female and carries a little (or perhaps a lot of) emotional baggage, a feeling that is invariably transmitted through the dolls' eyes.
The author, Dieter Warnecke, is a freelance journalist and writer with an impressive list of publications (18 to date) documenting the manufacture of toys: from imported wind-up tin creatures to tin toy utility vehicles by Technofix to Bild Lilli and the Barbie doll. Warnecke also conducted extensive interviews of Rolf Hausser the inventor of Bild Lilli. It seems more than fitting that Warnecke, who has known Kalinowski for more the 35 years, would seize the opportunity to profile one of the leading independent doll makers of the period following the renaissance of the fashion doll started by Mel Odom’s Gene Marshall doll. The book also counts with the expert touch of Fokke Hoekman, a Berlin-based art director and graphic designer, whose love of rare fashion dolls regales this book with a crisply assertive style.
Dolldom was very honored to be invited to contribute to this publication as, after more than a decade of collaborations with Kalinowski, a substantial photographic record of his work exists. Knowing that many of our favorite images of early sketch dolls using the Lilli Lalka V.1 sculpt, Séverine, Miss Sévinyl, Solange, Sylvain's prototype, the S-Girls, Lilli Lalka 2, the current Lilli Lalka and the elusive 15-inch Ludy Laminous will find a home in this book provides us with great delight.
The Work and Art of Julian Kalinowski by Dieter Warnecke is now available for pre-order. An edition of 500 books worldwide guarantees that this hardcover tome, shock-full of glossy images, drawings, and elevated reflection on life and dolls, will become a sought after treasure. Just imagine: This book. Your favorite reading spot. Your favorite cocktail. Your favorite reading music. Best self-care that you as a dollector could provide for yourself.
For more information, please visit The Work and Art of Julian Kalinowski
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