Still Lovers

The private bond between ""life-sized, synthetic sex dolls"" and their owners is something rarely witnessed by outsiders, so the photographs in this book are likely to titillate-and possibly shock- viewers, despite Dorfman's decidedly neutral approach to her subjects. Clearly, these made-to-order dolls are primarily constructed for gratification, yet the photographs tell stories that are much more complex, disturbing-and at times-familiar. Whether it's the man on the lawn, pecking away at his laptop as his fully clothed doll lies quietly beside him or the man drinking his morning coffee while slyly eyeing his doll, sprawled suggestively nearby, the photographs reveal the power of the human imagination and its role in achieving and sustaining what could be loosely defined as ""happiness."" This collection, which features predominately male owners, strives to convince viewers that doll owners grow to ""love"" these inanimate objects; however it is unlikely that your typical viewer will reach this rather lofty conclusion, largely due to Dorfman's calculated distance from her subjects.