In this series, Barbie becomes ‘Working Barbie’ and Ken enters the story. Since the economy is down, Ken who is un-employed, assumes the role of ‘Domestic Ken’ and spends his time entertaining himself at Barbie’s expense. As Barbie gets deeper into her career she notices Ken’s increasingly distracted. Conflicted himself, he finds he enjoys spending his time with his new BFF Joe. The story of these 3 plays out through a seres of vignettes into the subtle dysfunctions of seemingly perfect relationships. This is an exploration & examination of the importance of appearance and how the societal roles of woman, man, husband & wife are learned and the influence of today’s media & culture shapes us through icons like Barbie & Ken. This a continuation of the images of Barbie, capturing different phases of her life. I recognized a part of myself through the creation of this body of work. This series came to life in 2011 and was photographed in 2012. The setting was very important to the execution of my vision, In search of a mid-century modern home I was introduced to three friends who offered their homes. A very heartfelt thank you goes to each and every person who helped bring this vision to the walls today.