Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Alice: 3D becomes 2D


I wrote about the Alice Theatre previously, when it was being offered in a 3-D format.

Now, the creator has made it available in good old fashioned 2-D.  You can print and use as a traditional theatre (which is amazing enough), but they also demonstrate how it can be inventively used with other images for photography prints!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Story Behind the Story






I wrote about this before...

The above clip is from a new documentary explaining who the artists were that created the huge, wall mural depicting a very LARGE toy theatre several stories high!  It's the story behind the story...

Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Small Christmas

The Thorne Collection is getting dressed up for Christmas!

Here are a few slides showing this miniature collection being decorated for the holidays...

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Dollmaker Extraordinaire

The two Alices on their Wonderland toy theatre stage...
Rebeca Cano makes amazing dolls, yes, but she makes much more than dolls.  She makes an entire world for her dolls down to the smallest, most exquisite detail.  It is truly a joy to behold.

"...she came upon a low curtain she
has not noticed before..."

Before she began making dolls, Rebeca had never sewn.  Hard to believe when you see the incredible miniature clothing and other textiles she creates.  She is mostly self-taught, which I greatly admire.  Inspiration can be a powerful motivator.

Right now, she has a sale on, of a toy theatre tableaux featuring her favorite story character, Alice in Wonderland.  It is an ongoing project of hers...
The project is designed to be exhibited in a museum of contemporary art, as yet undefined.  All my dolls have their origins in a tale that I believe; I like to give soul to my dolls, and that is why I started in this world.
You can read more about Rebeca here and see more of your dolls here...







Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Another Toy Theatre Mural!


The Toy Theatre is a mural created by artist Peter Waddell on a wall at 1914 Sunderland Place NW at New Hampshire, a block south of Dupont Circle, in Washington, DC...

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Occupy Puppets!



I love how the Occupy movement is inspiring people of all sorts to communicate about building a better society. It's what most people want...

Monday, October 03, 2011

Anthropomorphic Taxidermy



I don't know about you, but I think anthropomorphic taxidermy has a great power to convey stories and ideas. I adore them...

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Theatre Centenary



Nigel Peevers shared this recently:
The Lyceum Theatre in Crewe was 100 years old this year and for their centenary they had a specially commissioned light show projected on the front of the building...in one of life's weird little coincidences I'd already been telephoned and asked if they could use some images from my toy theatre book in the show.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Toy Theatre Large-Scale Mural

"The Toy Theatre is a mural being created by artist 
Peter Waddell with the assistance of fellow artists..."
An amazing public space arts project is unfolding right now in the Washington, DC area. An artist is painting a large-scale mural on a side of a historical building, in a historical neighborhood.
Slowly appearing on the wall is a huge painting of a giant toy theatre. Beneath the monumental proscenium arch, 40' high, the stage is set with scenery representing the first two great mansions of Dupont Circle. The British Legation on Connecticut Avenue and “Stewarts Castle” on the Circle arose from the area's rough farmland in the 1870s.
To see the progress as it unfolds, visit the gallery page of the artist's website.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

A Way of Life

My friend Ann (who I hope to meet in person some day), her talented husband, George...and friends!
[Photo Credit:  Lori M. Nichols - Gloucester County Times]



A lovely article about George and Ann Neff, who kindly built me a toy theatre a few years ago. They are a very talented couple who love the world of puppets!

Monday, August 29, 2011

A Paradox: Giant "Toy Theatre"


I came across an article describing an upcoming public art event featuring a giant "Toy Theatre".Created by a UK designer, it is described as being "...based on a Victorian children’s toy theatre built to life-size proportions...The huge cube-shaped stage has incorporated a vibrant Victorian design, mixed with images of popular cult figures, such as The Stig from BBC’s Top Gear, Kermit the frog and Kylie Minogue."

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Little Story Houses

I happened upon these fun little theatres thanks to Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop today. The maker is a very talented young woman who also makes dolls...

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Tinselled juvenile drama portrait, “Mr. Wood as Sultan in
Sublime and Beautiful.” London: M. & M. Skelt, [c. 1837]. 


It's Dramatis Personae Catalogue time!

Catalogue #107, to be exact.

DP presents for sale, a handful of times per year, some of the best Ephemera available, including several offerings related to juvenile drama, aka toy theatre.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Post Fishmarket 2011


The Third International Toy Theatre Festival at Vischmarkt this past month was a great success. Wonderful new memories were made by festival performers and audience members alike.

You can see from the photos how diverse and unique each performer's vision was, from the theatre designs to the lighting to the presentations.


Fellow performers and audience members alike were fascinated and curious about each production and often would tour 'backstage', ask questions, etc.


Once can sense great camaraderie among the festival attendees. It reminds me greatly of my experience of attending and participating in science fiction conventions. Fellowship with others that are like-minded is very therapeutic...



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Toy Theatre Contest Starts!

Opening Event for Pollock's toy theatre iPad application competition...
Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop has announced an exciting competition involving toy theatre, using their amazing new iPad application...
The beautiful toy theatres of the Victorian era have been brought to life again through Pollock's gorgeous and innovative application for the iPad. Just like the original toy theatres where you immerse yourself in building your own theatre sets, etc.

Description
Competition Closing Date: 31st August (midnight GMT)
Join in the celebrations and be in the chance to win a fabulous new iPad and exclusive Pollock's Store Lock-In. Follow these simple steps and get creative:

1. Download the Pollock's Toy Theatre app from iTunes to your iPad
2. Record your play on your iPad. Don't forget to save it!
3. Decorate your iPad
4. Video yourself, your decorated iPad and your play.
5. Upload the video to youTube and send us a link via the competition facebook page

Terms & Conditions:
Submissions after 31st August will not be counted. The prize is a pair of tickets for the winner and 10 friends to a private hire of the Pollock’s store in Covent Garden, London with refreshments and storytelling entertainment, on a date to be agreed between the winner and the prize provider before 1st October 2011, within a 6pm- 8.30pm Time Slot. These dates/ times are subject to change. The winner acknowledges that in the event that Pollock’s have to change the dates/ times, the promoter does not accept responsibility in these circumstances and no alternative prize will be provided. Prize winners under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult at all times at their Pollock’s event.
My apologies for not posting immediately, since this actually started a few days ago, but I only became aware of it today.  Get your thinking caps on and your iPads out!  August 31st is the deadline.  Good luck, and I hope some of you reading this will share what you come up with...

Monday, June 13, 2011

Cantastoria Festival Starts June 19th



I am passing on an announcement I received today, in hopes that it will let others know about a wonderful event beginning this weekend.  I doubt  you'll find many productions like this anywhere else!

Pre-cinematic technology takes over HERE for a week of contemporary cantastoria cooked up by puppeteers, artists, and craftspeople from across the country. A millenium-old art form is rejuvenated and re-imagined, as performers animate paintings and banners alongside texts, puppets, jokes, songs and stories.

Each unique program features several original shorts on a given theme such as: Boom or Bust, Phobia & Fetish, or Sink or Swim. On June 22nd and 23rd, Great Small Works will perform a brand-new cantastoria, Three Graces, in which three mythical graces — Harmony, Strategy and Splendor — float down to earth for an Op-Art romp inspired by Grace Kelly, Grace Paley, Grace Jones and Grace Lee Boggs.

The Greatest Smallest Band will kick off the afternoon with a parade, followed by simultaneous shows throughout the park. Bring a picnic and the whole family and celebrate Father’s Day and the third longest day of the year with Great Small Works, Bread and Puppet Theater, The Dolly Wagglers, Jonny Clockworks & the Cosmic Bicycle Theatre, Clare Dolan, Sara Peattie, Sam Wilson, Daniel Lang-Levitsky, Theater Oobleck, Redwing Blackbird Theater and the Lubberland National Dance Company, all in full view of the New York Harbor and Lower Manhattan. Free of charge!

AND Great Small Works will present the opening event for Banners and Cranks on Sunday, June 19th, from 4 to 7:30 PM at Pier One in Brooklyn Bridge Park (rain location: the Tobacco Warehouse) in DUMBO on the Brooklyn waterfront.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Illustrations Inspire Toy Theatre

Kate Greenaway book illustrations inspired this delightful toy theatre...
I ran across a mixed-media artist's blog today that featured a lovely toy theatre she threw together, her inspiration coming from the illustrations of Kate Greenaway.  There's something about that artist that I find very appealing.  It is more a composite of the story the characters were taken from rather than a re-telling of that tale, but I like what she came up with.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Precious Object: Toy Theatre

The toy theatre sat in the front room of her house for years when she was married and was played with a lot by every child that came round for tea. Once a letter was posted through the letterbox addressed to “Wooden O’Theatre”.  - From Treasure:  The World's Most Precious Objects

Twenty-three years ago, a woman began making a toy theatre for her son.

           It was during a happy phase 
           when he loved to sit next to her...

It never quite got finished, but it also was never forgotten...

Monday, May 16, 2011

Cantastoria Festival!



Although definitely not toy theatre, an upcoming cantastoria festival is too good to pass up passing on!

From the organization's site behind it, here's the skinny:
Pre-cinematic technology takes over  for a week of contemporary cantastoria, cooked up by puppeteers, artists and craftspeople from across the country. A millennium-old art form is rejuvenated and re-imagined, as performers animate paintings and banners alongside texts, puppets, jokes, songs and stories. 
Each unique program features several original shorts on a given theme, and the festival kicks off with a FREE opening celebration, presented by Great Small Works at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A Man & His Dolls


My friend Vanesa shared this trailer with me recently. As she says, "This looks like an extraordinary film about dolls and a man's relationship with them..."

A Nazi scrutinizes Captain Hogancamp...
After viewing the trailer, viewing still shots taken by Mark (the man behind all this), and reading about the story behind the film, I couldn't agree more. An amazing use of the imagination and creativity for self-healing.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Puppetry International Issue #29: TOY THEATRE!

Several weeks ago, I was asked if I would be interested in submitting an article for the next issue of Puppetry International, which was going to focus an entire issue on toy theatre. I happily agreed, and submitted a book review about Mo Heard's new book, Leo's Heroes.

Well, the issue has just been published, and I got a copy in the mail today.  I am tickled pink with the result.

The entire issue highlights the wonderful world of toy theatre, including of course some of its history, but just as importantly, the current renaissance of the form in many wonderful ways.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Nashville in Miniature

See more miniatures here...

I recently was on holiday to visit my daughter and her family, as well as my son. all of whom live in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

While there, I was able to take in an amazing exhibition at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens entitled Trains in G.

The exhibit is a miniature town consisting of various landscapes, plants, infrastructure (bridges, roadways, railroads, etc.), and buildings.  All the buildings and infrastructure are made from natural material - plants, trees, rock, etc.  The buildings are all re-creations of actual homes and businesses, either historical or modern, that either existed or did exist once, in the Nashville area.

As a novice toy theatre enthusiast, it was a marvelous outing on a beautiful day.  I must say, I greatly admire the artist behind it; the exhibit was designed and constructed by Paul Busse, of Applied Imagination, using something he calls Botanical Architecture...

The Nashville Parthenon - a re-creation itself - is recreated here in miniature...

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Toy Theatre Festival 'Trailer'



The biannual toy theatre festival in the Netherlands is coming up soon. Check out this trailer showing highlights and performers from other recent festivals there to give you an idea of what you can see if you attend (which is highly recommended by the way...!)

Friday, April 08, 2011

Muppet Toy Theatre

Maple floor boards, fully functional footlights, & hand-crafted baroque panels
Lance Cardinal is a genius in my book.

Take a look at his Muppet Theatre project. Take a good look. It's utterly amazing, the detail and quality of his work. I am blown away...

Behind the scenes...

In a different post, you can see the design process itself...Fascinating!

Lance, you have a rare and special gift.  Thank you for sharing this project with us!

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Third Int'l Toy Theatre Festival at Vischmarket

A festival performance, in-process...
This June, the bi-annual toy theatre festival in the Netherlands will be happening.

The Third International Toy Theatre Festival at Vischmarkt (Fishmarket) in Harderwijk, Netherlands will be June 1-3, 2011. You can check out the festival's website for more information (continually 'under construction' with updates...)

A wonderful pictorial overview of the last festival can be found at this site.

Posts about past festivals on this blog can be found here.

A performance over, the 'man behind the curtain' reveals himself...

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Dramatis Personae Catalogue #106

Grand Combat in the Secret Mine No.2
(Hodgson & Co., 1822)

As always, it is a joy to announce that the latest catalogue has come out from Dramatis Personae!

You will find all sorts of fascinating ephemera for sale, including some delightful toy theatre-related items.

I highly encourage anyone interested in vintage toy theatre to check them out...

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spotlight: Paper Cinema


They combine many elements, including toy theatre.  As Mike M. (my tipster) told me, "I love seeing the cut-outs freed from the stage..."

Troy in Troytown

From their website 'About' tab:

The Paper Cinema is an illustrated song, a shadow, a smoke, a mirror, a puppet show, a cinema show, side show, magic show, a show and tale, a show off. It exists in the meeting of live music and moving drawings.

What happens at the accidental meeting of inkblots, photocopies, cardboard, angle-poise lamps, the occasional table, video technology, a laptop and a banana box?

Best to see The Paper Cinema with your own eyes…



From a review:

"...Huddled in the dimly lit room we watched a screen in front of us while to one side the company themselves sat, arrayed around a tiny black box and a video camera. As they delicately moved dozens and dozens of paper cutouts back and forth in front of the camera on the screen in front of us a world was conjured; a world of pirates and plague, of mysterious figures and rowdy bars, of magical journeys and impossible twists of fate. To the gentle and perfectly pitched sound of a single live guitar these sinisterly beautiful illustrations danced across the screen. The whole experience was just completely lovely."

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Toy Theatre Influence: 2D Animation II

Another animation film project that incorporates elements of toy theatre, is in production.

Molly is an incredible artist. I've been following her for years, and own some of her art. This is exciting to see her art come to life!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Toy Theatre as Therapy

The 2nd World Congress of Art Therapy will be held in Hungary this coming August. I recently learned that toy theatre is one of the forms that will be discussed in the context of therapeutic application. While using puppetry as therapy is not a new concept, I was fascinated to read how toy theatre in particular is being explored to use in just that way...

NOTE:  I initially took offense at the writer saying that "Nearly everyone who has dabbled in the Juvenile Drama agrees that the performances of the plays were usually a failure. It was the preparation that provided so many hours of delight."  But then I thought about it, especially after I read his later observations.  I think he has a strong point - while I don't think performances per se are 'failures', the process of creating is as important, if not moreso, than the finished product (at least for me...)  Whatever your opinion, I encourage you to give this unusual paper a read and see what the writer has to say...

Sunday, March 20, 2011

New Shop Celebrates Storytelling

Liminal Space opened this week...

A new shop has opened in the London area that celebrates storytelling in many ways, including the form of toy theatre!

They describe themselves as "...a pop-up shop celebrating storytelling through the making and animating of hand-crafted objects."

You can see more here...

"...the grim ending to Baba Yaga is performed, as we watch a wicked,
money-hungry  stepmother and her two obnoxious daughters being
turned to ash by the flames from a skull's eyes."

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Optical Toys: Cyclotrope


A delightful re-purposing of bicycle parts!

The creator, Tim Wheatley, had this to say...
The cyclotrope is a cycle of 18 images that is spun at a certan speed so that the frame rate of the camera filming it gives the illusion of animation.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Toy Theatre & Beyond


The Fifth Annual Toy Theatre After Dark Festival starts today in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Programming is staggered with several options for the festival-goer...

Intimate, inventive, and wonderfully odd, toy theater has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, especially in the Twin Cities. From shows-in-a-suitcase, paper marionettes, and wearable theater to shadow plays, weird object animation, and table-top cantastorias (sung stories), a new wave of theater miniaturists is captivating audiences with fresh approaches to an old art form. The award-winning Open Eye Figure Theatre began showcasing the burgeoning local scene in 2007, and now partners with the Walker to expand into a two-week festival and present a program that includes short new pieces from local and national artists. Two distinctly different programs offer a stunning spectrum of miniature puppetry work. Featuring the far flung and home grown puppeteers Justin Spooner, Kurt Hunter, Z Puppets, Robin Schwartzman, Kristi Tiernes, David Commander, Amber Davis, Dolly Wagglers, Michael Montenegro, Michael Sommers, and Billy Mullaney. Curated by Susan Haas with Michael Sommers and Philip Bither.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

May Festival Recognizes Bicentennial

The poster's striking image is a brilliant focus on the foundation of toy theatre:  PAPER!

7th INTERNATIONAL PAPER THEATRE MEETINGS
25 – 29 May 2011
Pays d’Epernay – Terres de Champagne

Bicentenary of Paper Theatre
Just 200 years ago, in the window of a small publisher’s book shop in London, appeared the sheets which made it possible to construct a real theatre at home for the first time; miniature but real…
All Europe published these theatres until they gradually disappeared at the beginning half of the twentieth century before reappearing in the 1980s by artists who brought them a future in other scales.
The Paper Theatre International Meetings which takes place in Pays d’Epernay – Terres de Champagne is devoted to this technique.

Exhibition
Paper Theatre from the Origins to the Present Day

Two hundred years of history, the first portraits until the most contemporary proposals
An exhibition in 200 m²
18 May – 25 June at the Multimedia library of Epernay
Coproduction: Papierthéâtre, Pays d’Epernay, Epernay Municipality, the Puppetry International Festival of Charleville-Mézières, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Champagne Ardenne Regional Council and Marne Departmental Council.
(The exhibition will be in Charleville-Mézières in September 2011)

SHOWS
16 companies
9 countries
20 towns


Companies:
Svalegangens Dukketeater – Denmark
Paperplays – England
Puppet Working Group – England
Anima – France
Théâtre de l’Arc-en-Terre – France
Atelier de la Boule Bleue – France
En Verre et contre Tout – France
Volpinex – France
Barbara Steinitz & Bj̦rn Kollin РGermany
Burgtheater – Germany
Darvag – Iran
Papelito – Italy
Facto Teatro – Mexico
Teatro de Formas Animadas de Vila do Conde – Portugal
Scope Toy Theatre – The United States

Towns:
Avize, Bouzy, Congy, Dormans, Epernay, Fleury la Rivière, Germaine, La Caure, Le Breuil, Mareuil le Port, Oeuilly, Orbais l’Abbaye, Pierry, Tauxières Mutry, Tours sur Marne, Troissy, Vandières, Vertus, Villeneuve-Renneville-Chevigny, Villevenard

Information:
Paperthéàtre
Papier.theatre@wanadoo.fr
Reservation:
MJC d’Ay
contact@mjc-ay.com
0033 (0)3 26 55 18 44

Website: www.ritp.fr

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Toy Theatre for iPad Official Launch



The joy on the children's faces as they see their toy theatre creation come alive put a big smile on my face!

I love seeing today's tech-savvy kids gets turned on to old tech interpreted by new tech. A great idea, and hats off to Pollock's Toy Shop for introducing it...

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Toy Theatre at the Library

Decameron no 2 by John Elmslie
Decameron no 2 a photo by John Elmslie on Flickr.


Mariella Bertelli is a storyteller and librarian with an extensive background in puppetry and theatre. She has recently worked on a retelling of the 16th century Italian classic Orlando Furioso and on her own stories inspired by material in the Toronto Archives.



Decameron no 5 by John Elmslie
Decameron no 5 a photo by John Elmslie on Flickr.

I contacted Mariella to ask about her involvement in toy theatre.  She shared that "...toy theatres are my passion after discovering them while working at the Osborne collection of Early Children's books...With my friend (and fellow librarian) Mary Anne Cree we have developed and performed (to private audiences) two shows -real adult content- adapting two stories from Boccacio's Decameron, and have had lots of fun doing them."


The source material sounds very challenging to adapt, but from the still shots I found of her doing one of the productions, shared here, it looks like it was an amazing occasion, complete with live music according to the notes!

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Madness in Miniature


The House Theatre presents Madness in Miniature.

Performer, designer and puppeteer Meredith Miller stars in this elegantly macabre evening, which recreates the early 20th-century practice of parlor entertainment featuring toy theater and adult puppetry. Accompanied by live jazz and ragtime on grand piano, Miller evokes an Edward Gorey-esque vibe that tells a story of love and loss.


Meredith Miller’s hour-long escape into the depths of the Chopin Theatre’s opulent lounge recaptures the intimate feeling of the time when people performed toy-theater and puppetry for each other as live entertainment in their parlors. The mood is evocative of the artwork of Edward Gorey—elegant, macabre, understated, and hovering somewhere between Victorian and Art Deco. And by pairing a line-up of intimate, lush puppetry performances with virtuosic jazz and ragtime played live on a grand piano, we have the feeling of having slipped back in time and found ourselves in a mysterious, timeless, parlor populated by dark humor macabre notions of love and loss.

Meredith Miller is a Chicago-based designer and performer of original object-based theatrical works. Her recent work includes The Abduction, originally created for "The World is Flat! A Weekend of Toy Theater" at Chicago's Links Hall, where she shared the bill with Great Small Works. Following this performance, Meredith was invited to appear in Open Eye Theater's annual Toy Theater After Dark festival in Minneapolis, and Great Small Works' 9th Annual Toy Theater Festival in New York.

Sources: goldstar.com and thehousetheatre.com

Monday, February 21, 2011

Old + New = Spellbinding





French animation master Michel Ocelot has made a new film - Les Contes de la Nuit (or Tales of the Night) - featuring "...six freshly conceived fairy tales that are rendered instantly timeless."


The film is presented in 3D, which "...gives Ocelot's distinctive two-dimensional look a pop-up book feel..." - or as I prefer to imagine it, a kind of toy theatre depth!

Tomtom Boy: A boy trains to master a magic tom-tom drum that makes  everyone dance
The Doe Girl: A doting young man sees his beloved turned into a doe by a  jealous
sorcerer; she will stay that way unless he can find the touch that will change her back

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Puppet Heap

Click to see Video...
Puppet Buzz posted today about a delightful series of videos that I had to pass on.  They are highly amusing and just plain fun.  Lots of hard work and love obviously went into their production, and it shows!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Vaudeville "Music Hall" Theatre


The above video shows an animated toy theatre. It's animated physically, not digitally. It's your standard paper toy theatre, but the characters and props are all jointed so in addition to sliding them around the stage, they can also be manually manipulated to perform actions.  To be more exact, "...they are string-pull puppets, working along the same principle as jumping jacks, so they can be 'remotely controlled' by a puppeteer."

The theatre is called "Vaudeville", but is also known by some as "Puppet Music-Hall", and it was created by Pete Brown.

Pete, a boat builder from Ireland, shared with me that he enjoys puppetry as a hobby, mostly large-scale for parades.  However, the idea of the music hall characters were "...just knocking around inside my head", so he felt he had to create something out of the premise.  This toy theatre design, and the book that followed, is the creative, innovative, and fun result!

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Animation Resource


I ran across what I thought was a traditional toy theatre, but soon realized it was virtual.  "Whatever created this, is good," I thought.  I asked the website's creator to share a bit about the software used...

iClone is a 3D animation software. Up until now that sort of 3D software was expensive and slow. It took days or even weeks to build up the frames needed for a final animation. It had to place each and every pixel on the screen and work out how to bounce each and every ray of light off the scene. But iClone does all that instantly, because it uses a videogame engine and the user's PC gaming graphics-card to do all the heavy-lifting required to make a 3D animation. It's affordable too, and very usable - a lot of its content is drag-and-drop. My Alice Theater can be animated quite easily. There's a free version of iClone, iClone Ex, if people want to try it out.
Still from "Alice" toy theatre animation, created with iClone

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Exhibition Feedback

"The Wedding Supper", somehow I want to call it the "Last Supper"!
How many celebrities can YOU identify?
[Click to enlarge]
I recently wrote about an exhibition that uses toy theatre in a very fun, inventive, and stimulating manner. It opened last weekend.  One of the individuals behind the exhibition, Bren O'Callaghan, wrote to share some images from the exhibition (see below) and these kind comments...
Dear Trish

Thanks so much for getting in touch about my exhibition, apologies it has taken until now but I was consumed with the final few days of preparation and then had to take a few days off!

Please find attached two images of each theatre should you wish to use these on your site.

Thanks also for the lovely blog post, you seem to have the hang of the purpose behind the work - building upon the seed of an idea first proposed by TV comedian Harry Hill, actually the alter-ego of artist Matthew Hall. I picked up the baton of the earlier challenge so to speak, and decided to interpret Cruikshank's mammoth painting by selecting key vignettes from within the larger whole. I wanted to retain the sense of caricature and retreating fields of depth, which is why I turned to the form of toy theatres, and I glad I did because I've loved every moment of this project - even though it was hard work at times!

Best regards,

Bren


David Bailey


Laura Barnard


Charlotte Gould and Hannah Gibson


Simon Misra


Gemma Parker

John Powell-Jones

The exhibition is ongoing through February 27th.
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