Puppets in detail

Peats Ridge Installation

Some photos of the 'Fiddle my Fiddle' puppet installation at Peats Ridge Festival 2011-2012. The puppets were secured to the fencing using a whole bunch of cable ties threaded through holes in the back panel of each figure. Lengths of rope extending from between the legs of each puppet could be pulled to manipulate their legs into making endless high-spirited kicks. Children and the heavily intoxicated seemed to thoroughly enjoy this.  

The puppets lasted two days before the inevitable idiotic tagging began and someone decided to snap off  some of the plywood pieces. When Bow-Legged Bob lost a leg sometime around midday on New Year's Eve it was time to rescue the battered trio and store them safely until the end of the festival. Lesson learnt: drunk people can't have nice things.   

Bow-Legged Bob

Washboard Abbott

Moonshine Mac

Puppets

Due to the tiny project budget, I ended up painting, varnishing and rigging the puppets in the spare room of my share house. High on wood stain fumes and turps, I spent the days leading up to Christmas tripping over paint cans, stray guitars and the jagged corners of a futon sofa whilst trying to finish the puppets in time for Peats Ridge. 

Puppets in progress

Some photos documenting the first stage of construction for the Fiddle my Fiddle puppets created for Peats Ridge Festival 2011-2012. 

Fiddle My Fiddle

Ply puppet project for Peats Ridge Festival 2011-2012.



Ply puppet project for Peats Ridge Festival 2011-2012. 


Fiddle my Fiddle is an interactive installation exploring the wonderful but oft-overlooked world of hillbilly puppetry. For the project, I am making a life-size three piece hillbilly band out of recycled ply decorated with a whole bunch of pen and paint illustration. When their pulley system is activated, Washboard Abbott, Bow-Leg Bob and Moonshine Mac will perform a special hoe-down for Peats Ridge punters.    


Progress shots to come.

Thumbs Down

Contrary to expectations, the thumb sculptures survived the elements but fell prey to over-excited punters sometime in the early hours of New Year's Day. Here are some photos of their sorry state of complete dilapidation on January 1st.

I think the vast majority of Peats Ridge Festival goers felt similarly battered by 3 days of celebrations.   

Peats Ridge 2010

Here are some photos of the thumb garden debut at Peats Ridge Festival 2010. 5 days of sunshine, fantastic music and excellent company.

Thumb Garden Site

Thumbs in the Garden

Here are a few images from a day Dee and I spent paper mache-ing recently. With the Peats Ridge installation date looming it's been a mad scramble to get the thumbs weatherproofed (hopefully) and the audio tweaked to perfection. Big thanks, and big thumbs up to those who donated their National Geographic collections!

Thumbs up and running

Here are a couple of images of the Peats Ridge Festival thumb garden in progress. The thumbs are chicken wire and paper mache free-standing sculptures. The 3 large digits stand at a towering 2 metres high! Behind the thumbnail will be hidden speakers broadcasting Dee's sustainable-practices-inspired sound project to the Peats Ridge punters. Fingers crossed Glenworth Valley has a dry spell over New Years!