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. 

Womb to Move: the Final Product

Some photos of the completed Womb to Move project. Poor light inside the womb chamber made the photos particularly grainy so some of the colours and exposure have been altered to make the interior elements more visible. In addition to the textural comforts of the chamber, womb visitors were also treated to the aural delights of a quietly trickling water feature and the soothing tones of smooth jazz played from speakers hidden within the sink unit.

Over the coming months, Womb to Move will be presented in a number of venues around Sydney accompanied by the Corporate Comfortizer, specially employed to meet all your comfort needs and daily anxiety issues.

Port-A-Womb in Progress (cont.)

Some photos of the work close to completion...By this stage of the construction my neck and back were constantly aching from craning to hand stitch the fabric bunches to the chamber's ceiling.

I also decided to add a gloriously tacky water feature, referencing the ambience of waiting rooms and hotel/nightclub bathrooms. Bought from Kmart for a steal at $12, I covered the original beige plastic structure with soft pink paint and several coats of glitter paint to finish it off. Truly hideous result.

interior in progress

almost finished

water feature

curtains

curtains detail

Port-A-Womb in Progress

Still more shots of the Womb Room interior in progress.