If you take a look at the Barbie website, you will find that kids are the
least likely to acquire a Van Gogh Barbie - who looks more like a chorus
girl than an art-work!  They cost an arm and a leg, are designated not
suitable for kids and are designed for the surprisingly large community
of Barbie collectors, whose probable response to a Van Gogh (yeah, I
know, so shoot me down in flames!) is to think "Hey, that doesn't look
half as good as the Barbie dress!"

Heleanor Feltham
 -----Original Message-----
From: owner-museum-l [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, 4 November 1998 9:11
To: MUSEUM-L
Subject: Re: Van Gogh and Barbie

At 08:21 AM 11/4/1998 -0500, Mark Erik Nielsen wrote:
>Sure Van
>Gogh's paintings are great, but does that mean it has to end there?
Maybe
>some six year old girl (or boy) will get turned on to Van Gogh from
>grooving on the sunflower skirt? Is that so bad?
>
>*************************************************************************
*
>Mark Nielsen


If that happens great!  But I am not sure the Barbie is going
to be a teaching momment in most homes.  To take art, history,
music, etc. out of context, with a disregared to education is hard for
me to support.