Archives for category: Absurd

New spokesperson

January 21, 2014 //

Yesterday we were finally introduced to the new spokesperson. It is the Magician. I never would have guessed it, as he hasn’t stood out in any way so far. He kept a very low profile. Indeed, I have never heard his voice before. But obviously he was in the right place at the right time. As I understand it, the Dedes have been dissatisfied with Devil’s performance for a while. (Personally I think it all started when Devil resigned last year to prove a point, but then he took his job back when everybody begged him to continue. But that is a different story.) So back to the Magician. He obviously had asked the Dede committee every so often if he could be of service, but they said they were happy with the Devil they know… Then, recently, two self-appointed advisors, I think they call themselves the woodheads, showed up and told the committee that they are going nowhere fast with the Devil. They painted a very bleak picture for the future of the Dedes if they didn’t get a new spokesperson. They pointed out the Devil has his own agenda, and rubs people up the wrong way to boot. The Dedes thought about it and had to agree. But what to do? Luckily the woodheads had a solution: the Dedes simply need a magician, and then they conjured him up. What could the Dedes do, except to say: yes, you guys are so right! And here we are.

Tags art, Characters, creative writing, dede puppets, friends, fun, imagination, life, relationships, story, story telling

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

Finally a word

January 15, 2014 //

“Coffee.” I heard a thin voice from poor Devil’s bedstead. I was so happy to hear his voice that I immediately ran to the kitchen to prepare him one, thinking it would be nice to choose the monkey cup.

“Not that idiot” he said, when he saw me coming. I wasn’t quite sure who he referred to, me or the monkey, and pulled away, but Devil grabbed my sleeve. “Ah well, I don’t have to look at his pancake face when I drink from the cup.” You better go back to sleep, I thought.

Tags art, Characters, creative writing, dede puppets, friends, life, mood, story, story telling

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Creative Writing, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

What now?

January 13, 2014 //

I hope you all know that the film was not real! Of course the Dedes wouldn’t be that vicious in real life. They wouldn’t try to decapitate the poor Devil, though in every story there is a bit of truth. Some parts of the film are recounted correctly: Devil got the sack last week and after having talked to a few puppets, that seems to be final. There is no way for him to get back his position. They have already appointed a new spokesperson. Devil knows that and now he is not getting out of the sack in the mornings. Of course we all know that there will be brighter times again, but right now he is inconsolable. Mouse says she has been there a few times herself and she can sympathise how difficult it must be for him to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had nightmares too, but no words of consolation would help at this stage. He has to go through this in his own time.

Nobody has seen the old fellow since he took part in the film on Saturday. I had a little peek in the corner of the stage. He obviously just rolled over after the filming had finished and pulled the blanket back over his head. Mouse begged me to leave him alone for a while. He has to grieve and come to terms with the injustice he thinks he has received.

Tags art, Characters, creative writing, dede puppets, friends, imagination, life, mood, personalities, story, story telling, thoughts

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

A devil of a day

January 12, 2014 //

Yesterday we had another dede puppet workshop and it turned out very interesting. Devil and Mouse had selected the actors. It is good practise not to select yourself, when you are on a selection committee, so they were not to take part in the filming. However, when the participants heard that Devil had just lost his job they dragged him onto the stage. Even though life seems to be doom and gloom for him at the moment, I hope he notices that he still has good friends.

Enjoy the latest film.

Tags art, Characters, dede puppets, friends, imagination, life, mood, relationships, story, story telling, thoughts

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, film, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Social Network

Last day on the job

January 11, 2014 //

We have another Dede workshop this afternoon. It is usually the job of the spokesperson and the administrator to select the actors who will take part. I was surprised to see Devil, who has just learned he lost his spokesperson job, at the stage door with Mouse who is the administrator. Devil’s dark glasses told their own story and he really looked like he didn’t want to be there. I commend Mouse for keeping her patience, as he wasn’t holding back with snipey and derogatory comments today. Nothing, absolutely nothing, in the Dede world was right today. Truly, I wasn’t aware how vicious he could be when he is deeply hurt, which I think he is.

I asked Mouse afterwards what the story was. I thought maybe Devil got his job back. But she told me she had begged the Dede puppet committee to let Devil at least finish this one job, as pretty much everything was prepared for this afternoon and they only had to select the actors. It is no secret that Mouse loves to work with Devil. Honestly, these two guys are such a formidable team (Remember when these two organised the Super Dede Competition a year ago?). The outcome of the vote took Mouse as much by surprise as Devil himself, though she told me that Devil had an inkling that something was brewing for quite a while. It was her who always consoled him, saying he was just imagining things. Long ago she figured out that he has the tendency to believe everybody is out to get him. But boy, was he right this time!

Anyway, after having selected the actors for today she sat down with a big sigh and said, “Maybe it is for the best, if he’d always behaved like today I couldn’t cope with him for long!”

Tags art, Characters, creative writing, dede puppets, friends, fun, life, mood, relationships, story, story telling

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Creative Writing, Fun, Life, Relationships, Social Network

Unsettling News

January 10, 2014 //

You might wonder what happened to the Dedes. I didn’t even realise how much we had drifted apart while normal life took over. Admittedly, I am not the best in-touch-keeper. And when it comes to the Dedes I didn’t need to be, as Devil at least (who is the spokesperson for the Dedes) seemed to drop in on a regular basis and kept me posted. But he too was very quiet lately. To be honest, I only realised this yesterday, when I heard through the grapevine that the Dedes had called for a special meeting (Dedes only). I try to keep out of their politics as much as possible, but I found it very strange that neither Devil (whose job it would be) nor Mouse (who is a well-known gossip) told me the reasons for the meeting. If I would have asked Mouse outright, she might have told me, but I didn’t want to put her in an awkard predicament. Anyway, last night they had the meeting and not long into it I heard the door slam and Devil galloping down the corridor. I ran after him to find out what happened. Typically, I thought the meeting was all about me and they were having a good rant about our flawed relationship. Devil would tell me all about if I asked him. I do consider him a friend. Surprisingly, I found him crying in the corner of the spare room.

“Hey, what’s up?”, I asked very startled. I was unaware that devils could cry.

“Leave me alone” he barked.

“C’mon, it can’t be that bad” I said and sat down next to him.

“They decided I am not a good spokesperson and they voted for someone else to take over my job”

“Oh,” I said for lack of other words. Since Devil didn’t volunteer any more information, I added after a pause: “I didn’t see this coming!”

He was shaken by another burst of tears. “Go away, pleeeeease, leave me alone!”

I know my Devil and decided it was the best to leave the room and close the door on my way out. But I promise, I will keep you up to date with the developments as soon as I know more.

Tags art, Characters, creative writing, dede puppets, friends, life, story, story telling

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Creative Writing, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

Why the ducks?

January 2, 2014 //

Why did I start the year with a picture of ducks?

I want to tell you a story that has kept me pondering since Christmas and I can’t solve the riddle about what life is trying to tell me here, and what the moral of the story is supposed to be.

When we went to the farm this Christmas, the ducklings had hatched. Fourteen of them. By the time we arrived there were only eleven left. Three disappeared during the night without trace. The next night was fine, the family was okay, but the following night the numbers were decimated, leaving five, and the day after Boxing Day all the ducklings were all gone. Isn’t that sad? I look at their lovely mellow faces, so content and clueless. Oh, dear!

But this is not the end of the story. While the duck and the drake had a full nest of eggs, the old chick in the pen next to the ducks tried to brood some eggs as well, but to no avail. The whole affair was rather doomed, as there is no rooster about. Still, she was sitting on these duds for ages, not wanting to admit defeat. Luckily the duck had actually laid sixteen eggs, but wasn’t big enough to cover all of them. So two were given to the old hen. The dud eggs were replaced and the hen continued sitting on the duck eggs instead. Sure enough, when time came, these ducklings hatched as well though they shouldn’t be called ducklings, but rather chicklings. Mother hen was clucking around them and like every good mother tried to teach them all she knew about life. Like how to scatch for food (pretty difficult with webbed feet) or having a sand bath. While a couple of feet away the duck family was happily paddling ab0ut in the plastic pond. At night though, the chicken took the chicklings under her wings and that is how they survived. I wonder at what point they will find out that they are not chickens and whether they can survive life with the experience that is handed down to them by their surrogate mother. I certainly hope that the story has an equally happy ending like in the fairy tale by H C Anderson: The Ugly Duckling.

Tags art, friends, images, life, Philosophy, reflections, story telling, thoughts

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Life, Photography, Social Network

Christmas film

December 30, 2013 //

Back from my Christmas holidays I had the best intentions to write more regularly again. Now sitting here, I realise, my mojo is still missing. I desperately hope it will come back in the New Year. In the meantime I will put up the little film we did during the holidays to lure the niece and nephew away from the computer games. It took us all afternoon to produce one minute of film. Phew… But it was great to watch them getting engrossed in the process. Ten-year-old Flynn in particular was tickle pink to see his name in the credits.

Tags art, dede puppets, film, story, story telling

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Social Network, workshop

Office man’s near demise

December 3, 2013 //

I thought everything is honky dory in my studio. All the puppets are delighted about the latest film. Even Lil’ Sculpture came down from his shelf last Saturday to take a minor part in “A Dede day @ the bank”. He hasn’t had this kind of attention for ages. The visitors didn’t tire to tell him what a cutie he was, and of course he was extremely cheerful when he climbed back onto his shelf after everybody had gone.

Much to my surprise I realised today that Office Man must have been terribly despondent. I found him hanging upside down on his strings. No idea how this happened. He was very much in disarray and couldn’t speak after I rescued him. Lil’ Sculpture must have seen everything (after all he is sitting right next to Office Man) but he keeps mum. I hope Lil’ Sculpture wasn’t to boastful about his reception by the crowd. It could have made Office Man feel inadequate. I promise, once he had a bit of a rest, I will get to the bottom of the story. I won’t let him off the hook.

Tags art, creative writing, friends, life, mood, personalities, relationships, story, story telling

Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Hand Puppets, Life, Social Network, workshop

A Dede day in the bank

December 1, 2013 //

A day at the bank

Hurrah, the Dedes are happy again. Yesterday we had some people around for another workshop. The highlight was the visit by their old mate Punch too. (He was one of the puppets who found a new home at the exhibition.) Unlike the first workshop, we had no idea where the story would take us this time. In the previous workshop we had a theme: we knew from the outset, that one of the Dedes will recite a Dada poem, and we had a long discussion about the sense and nonsense of Dada poems. Yesterday we started with an blank canvas (except for the few puppets who had held their hands up to take part. They were eagerly waiting on stage to get started). Of course when Punch too entered the room, he jumped straight onto the stage and wanted to play with his old mates. He has a different dress and you will know who he is, when you watch the video. The final piece ended up to be more Dada than the previous one….

I absolutely loved the process. As usual, when you don’t have anything to go by, it was a sluggish start. To kick-start I asked everyone to say one word that popped into their mind without thinking. But of course Rob D Light with his hankerchief across his face was hanging out on stage waiting for the filming to start and it wasn’t a surprise that we very quickly agreed to set the scene in a bank. From there on there was no holding back. In the end we were laughing so much I even forgot to take images or I wasn’t looking carefully and had all sort of human body parts in the pictures. I couldn’t use a good chunk of the footage. This will teach me a lesson.

I am not directing during workshops at all, and the storyline is entirely driven by the participants. I am just an observer and what I see flows into post-production. The session yesterday was three hours and with easing in and post mortem, there is not enough time to finish everything. So I completed the film this morning.

Thanks to everbody who helped making this flash drama and I hope the final product finds your approval.
Enjoy our master piece, we certainly enjoyed making it!