Geisha Mice - Mickey Mouse Headdresses by Piers Atkinson (GALLERY)

Piers Atkinson toyed with Mickey Mouse’s ears for his headdress series.

Someone’s childhood memories might be destroyed if they see what Atkinson did to Disney’s most loved mouse. The mouse character has been dramatically changed from a smiling innocent mouse into one very sad geisha.

The artist played with Mickey Mouse’s ears to create thought-provoking images. Pompoms, rollers with pins, neon lights, caps, fans and even ink blots were creatively used to accessorize the model’s head in creating different versions of the character.

On why he chose the mouse for inspiration, Atkinson explained, “Mickey Mouse has never gone away, it’s been a cultural icon through 50s, 60s, 70s and it is still there today.” He adds, “the darkness of American culture is hidden behind and candy packaged in those ears, you think they are cute, but they are not cute at all.”

Artist Andrew Logan and performance artist Ryan Styles lent their hands for the completion of the project.  The images were shot by Leigh Keily.