Despite Barbie's persistent presence in American culture, the shapely doll isn't exactly known for her realistic representation of a woman's body.
Atlanta-based photographer Sheila Pree Bright used the classic toy to emphasize the disconnect between commercialized beauty ideals and real women for her series, "Plastic Bodies."
Bright digitally manipulated photographs to morph portraits of women of color with images of Barbie dolls. According to Bright's website, the series examines "the global assimilation of cultures, ethnicities and loss of personal identity many women of color experience as a result."
"I made close observations of commercialism and the way female beauty was depicted to the masses," Bright told Mashable. "I saw a relationship between Barbie as a cultural icon and women globally."
Check out a few of Bright's powerful images below, and visit her website for a closer look at the project.
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