The lyrics “I’m a Barbie Girl, in a Barbie World. Life in plastic…” found new relevance in L.A.-based photographer Susan Anderson’s last collection, a series of portraits taken in hotel lobbies and other child pageant venues across the country. The series, published together in the book High Glitz, ostensibly attempts to document the visual world of child beauty pageants, but it’s impossible to ignore the disturbing questions that hover on the surface of mummifying lipstick and hairspray (check out Salon’s thoughtful piece on the subject). The tension between voyeurism, objectification, glamour and camp makes this series unforgettable.
The series was published as book, which is available here.
Jocelyn Lee