Welcome to the Dollhouse: Photos by Stacy Leigh

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No one would suspect the subjects in these images weren't real. But to the New York-based photographer, Stacy Leigh, they are real---Real Dolls that is. The sex doll has been around for a while and until now, looked utterly fake. Even an untrained eye could spot one from a mile away. These days, however; synthetic love dolls have taken on a life of their own. And with artistic talent from the likes of Stacy Leigh---a lot of them appear human-like. Almost too human.

Stacy Leigh and Her Dream Dollhouse

Stacy Leigh is flipping the script on having the perfect Barbie dream house. She's been collecting a variety of love dolls for over 15 years and then luring them into her studio for artistic purposes, of course! The sex doll portraits produced by Stacy Leigh are both captivating and unnerving and walk a thin line between intimacy and voyeurism.

In Good Company

There were only a handful of companies making sex dolls when Stacy Leigh began working them, with many of the dolls appearing artificial. Fast forward a decade, and sprinkle in some new technology. There is now approximately 20 companies all over the world producing realistic looking, high-end dolls. Even China is getting into the action. In recent years, they've gone from having zero to having 15 different manufacturers. Many of the sex dolls run the gamut from sweet and innocent looking to alluring and sexy.

The world better prepare because the love dolls are coming!

Photographing sex dolls is no small feat, especially because each doll weighs around 85-pounds. Shooting the dolls takes Stacy Leigh close to nine hours.  This is because they aren't nearly as professional as the real deal. They don't pose well, don't cooperate, and according to Stacy Leigh, "they kind of suck."  However, this does not deter Stacy Leigh from producing work which typically gets an immediate public reaction.

Fresh Air

She feels sex dolls are going to be a bigger part of the future. "They are going to be the new sex symbol, " said Leigh. As the world becomes more digital and less personal, sex dolls and sex robots will become commonplace and serve as relationship surrogates. "I can only hope that my realistic photographs spark and emotion of connection with the viewer." With a collection of over 25 dolls, Stacy Leigh decided on creating a project called 'Average Americans,' which places her dolls in all types of precarious situations. In some ways, this leads us to question whether we will need models at all.  Or whether models will be replacing our own version of a perfected reality. The one thing Leigh demonstrates is anyone can find themselves fancying mannequin-like dolls. Stacy Leigh is well ahead of the curve and believes sex dolls are the wave the of the future. Although she receives plenty of hate mail, she is respected in the doll community. Her work adds a level of legitimacy to a taboo that is viewed as 'depraved.' Her photographs help in removing the stigma associated with owning sex dolls.