Ladies of the Manor

The images titled ‘Ladies of the Manor’ are part of a documentary series where Siân was given permission to photograph a man’s prized collection: his sex dolls. In recent years the new generation of silicone sex dolls has initiated disparaging views on human beings’ need for sexual satisfaction.,raising serious questions about the human condition and our ethical relationships to others  in the modern world we live in.  These dolls although legal in UK, are banned in some countries of the world as they represent a threat to christian values as sex acts with robots or dolls are deemed to be “unnatural”. Alongside these ideas, the photographs enter into a critical dialogue with surrealism, the idea of the cyborg  and the post human. Concepts such as the uncanny and voyeurism are explored whereby dolls are staged to reflect the patriarchal control the collector has but also given freedom and agency by the photographer. The dolls venture outdoors, socialise and are set free.