Rebecca Moore has some thoughts on an artists controversial new project

Recently, I saw an art exhibition called It’s a matter of trust that used Barbie dolls to depict domestic violence. Sam Humphreys, a 41-year-old artist, created the work because she didn’t want children growing up expecting the world to be perfect: she wanted to use the iconic dolls, well-known for their perfection, to highlight the difference between how children see the world and its much darker realities.

To achieve this, she painted black eyes, bruises and bloodied lips onto the faces of the dolls and posed them in a series of vulnerable scenes. While I appreciate the sentiment – and actually think the artwork a good idea in terms of encouraging conversation about a somewhat taboo subject – I also believe that Humphreys’ hope to expose children to a less than perfect world is a little bit unnecessary.

For one thing, you don’t need such extreme measures to tell you the world is imperfect: the very first time you’re denied dessert because you haven’t finished your main teaches you the same thing.

At four years old, I wailed on the wrong side of a closed door having been kicked off the family dining table for not placing my knife and fork neatly together on my plate – and thereby missing out on my portion of dessert – and I realised very quickly that life is not perfect. And I still have a vendetta against cutlery that persists to this day.

Shuddering through sobs, I finally gave in, ceased my tantrum and waited for Papa Moore to open the door and welcome me into the bosom of the dining experience once more. So little moments of imperfection are normal and help young people to prepare for larger ones later in life. However, do young children really need to be made aware of horrendous acts of violence so young, shattering all hope of finding true love, happiness and social acceptance?

Surely, this is what High School is for. Yes, the world shows us very early on that Disney lied, that people get hurt and that dessert comes at an excessive cost. We don’t need a beat-up Barbie doll to deliver the same story.