This was an art exhibit I skimmed an article about and was surprised and excited to see was here in Philly! After weeks of not-quite-making it the destination of the day, we did it, and it was worth it (and we got to see the artist himself having a meeting in a back room of the gallery).

Hancock’s other work is very different than this, and it’s amazing to think of all the production and industry that went into creating these dolls — they are packaged as though there might be millions of them. A video clip of Mr. Rogers visiting a doll factory was one of the first things the kids gravitated to (having seen the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” a few weeks ago). The appeal of both dolls and action figures was there, as well as that now sort of “signature” to our homeschool experience tokusatsu-aesthetic (Claudia was inspired enough that she’s working on her “Nigrum Noctua” costume tonight).

For a small exhibit, there’s a lot to see, and you want to keep looking. Very little “negative space”, as they say. This, and then sitting outside in the grass eating a steaming plate of dok bokki from a Korean lunch truck, was our adventure of the day (that, and watching Napoleon Dynamite). It is summer, after all.

This exhibit is only at Temple Contemporary until July 27th — it’s worth going!