Manchas

In June, 1999, Mendelsohn and her daughter, Rebekah, found a female mannequin at a yard sale. The seller asked $20, and when Mendelsohn replied that the mannequin was headless, the seller came down in price by $5.

Thus began an extraordinary series of adventures that Mendelsohn has been recording with lens and pen. "Bridgit (the mannequin) is a blank page," Mendelsohn explained recently. "She has none of the obvious trappings we associate with personality except that what there is of her arms is in a very triumphant pose. What is endlessly fascinating is the way in which people relate to her and how it is that she fits into situations. Having a master's degree in psychology and a background in counseling have been definite assets."