ARTIST STATEMENT
I’ve live long enough to see the Bimbo rise and fall several times in our culture. What I’ve observed is that her power often comes down to how she uses her tits and eyelashes to attract attention. Her breasts are magnetic. Countless Bimbo Icons – from Marilyn Monroe to Farah Fawcett to Chrissy Chlapecka have learned how to bounce and wiggle just enough to get a reaction. Once she has grabbed that initial attention, the challenge then becomes to shift it: “My eyes are up here…” she says to the males whose gaze is fixed on her chest. They look up to her face and she flutters false eyelashes as she locks her eyes to theirs, enjoying for a moment their discomfort at having been caught objectifying her.
The flirtatious body-conscious attitude that felt empowering for the 28-year-old me feels manipulative as I move through my late 50s. It’s difficult for me to fully embrace the Bimbo now – trying to be an object of fantasy at this stage in my life when the connection I’m looking for is more deeply spiritual. I still like the false eyelashes – although I wear them toned down to something more classic. I can still be flirty and cute, but the invitation now is to peer into my eyes and into my soul.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dianne Karg Baron’s obsession with wire began over 25 years ago when she wanted to make a pendant out of a little piece of beach glass she found while walking near her home. Since then, the award-winning artist has bent, linked, twisted, woven, hammered, and fused her way through many kilograms of metal. In her recent work she has been exploring knitting and woven textile techniques in metal.
Dianne has participated in major exhibitions including: The Earring Show, presented by the Crafts Council of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (2020, 2021), Holding Place: A Repository Of Containers And Vessels By Metalsmiths Around The World, International Online Jewelry Exhibition, curated by Beth Wicker (2013), Engagement Rings & Wedding Bands, presented by Influx Jewellery Gallery, Calgary, Alberta (2013). Her jewelry has been published nationally and internationally, including in leading craft publications such as MAGazine, the publication of the Metal Arts Guild of Canada, The Wire Artist Jeweller, 500 Earrings by Lark Books, Wire in Design by Barbara McGuire, and Lapidary Journal.
Her jewellery is in private collections in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, and the USA. A graduate of Ryerson University (Interior Design, 1988), Dianne is a member in good standing of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She lives in Oshawa, just east of Toronto, with her husband, children and dog.
© Dianne Karg Baron