Archives for category: dada

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First things first. In the picture above you see the Super Dede Competition management team . From left to right: Detail, Mouse and Devil. You don’t see Detail very often in a picture. She is very particular about her appearance and rarely approves a photo of herself. She is the only Dede featuring straight lines and she finds her eyes too dark for her light complexion. Ah well, she certainly won’t take part in the competition. This might be another reason why she happily volunteered to canvas for contestants.

The nicely dressed lady in the front is the director of the theatre where the competition takes place. She considered herself pretty enough to take part in the Super Dede Competition. When she auditioned the management team informed her the competition is strictly for Dedes only. Of course she is invited to participate with comments and suggestions like the rest of the audience and the readers. She was a little miffed, but still went off to reserve herself a seat in the front row. She just loves the theatre so much.

Yesterday, our reader Jessie suggested some puppets that would make an interesting addition to the cast. I gave the list to Detail and she diligently went off to talk to the nominated puppets individually and asked them if they were willing to be put on the list. (Remember, being on the list doesn’t mean they will actually partake in the competition. In the first week the readers will whittle down the list of 10 suggestions to 5 final contestants.)

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From left to right: Granddad Max, Twofaced, Philosopher (lying down) and Deutsch Fraulein.

First up, Detail asked Twofaced if she wants to be a contestant. Her response was “Mhm, not sure.” Detail said “Okay then, I take it that’s a no” and crossed her of the list. Then she went on to ask Granddad Max. Granddad Max said “Mhm, not sure.” Detail nudged him with her ellbow and said “C’mon, don’t you feel flattered that someone put your name forward? And it would be great to have the perspective of an older member of society in the competition!” Granddad Max still said “Mhm not sure” but Detail put him on the list and promised if she had more than 10 applicants she would ask him again.

Next on Detail’s list was Deutsch Fraulein. “If you asked me to be a contestant on the “bachelorette” I would jump at the opportunity” the girl said arrogantly. “The Super Dede Competition, sorry, is not my thing.” Detail shook her head, crossed her off and moved on to Philosopher. Here she faced a dilemma. On the one hand she didn’t want bother this puppet as she knew what he would say. On the other hand she didn’t want to disappoint Jessie, who had put him forward. In the end she took a deep breath and asked. Sure enough, he waived the question aside. “Don’t bother me with that silly competition but I don’t want to spoil it for you guys so just leave me out of it.”

Detail was exhausted. All this hard work and she only has three contestants so far. The competition is supposed to start next Monday. Dear, oh dear!  There were two more puppets suggested by Jessie. One is called Patience. Patience is the one that got lost in the process, never to been seen again. But  Detail is not giving up. She couldn’t find the wannabe artist Sunny either, but he must be around somewhere. So there are still two maybe’s. Good luck, Detail.

And remember you still can get the free ebook of the previous Super Dede Competition from smashwords.com until tomorrow. Enter the code VV39S to get the ebook with a 100% discount.

super dede prep

The Dedes ruthelessly evicted the cast from the shadow theatre and took over the premises. Of course the Shadows weren’t pleased about this, but they know too well that the Dedes are more important. I expected they would put up more of a fight, but no, they just moved out!

The Dedes didn’t waste any time and immediately started setting up the stage. There’s not much time left, the competition starts on Monday. Like last time, it will be an impromptu event and the Dedes will incorporate comments from the readers. There are prizes to be won for readers who take part, but the Dedes haven’t made up their minds yet what they will be. In the meantime, Devil has decided to make the ebook about the previous competition available for free until the Super Dede Competition 2016 officially starts on Monday the 6th of June. In the first week we will be selecting the contestants.

Detail is currently going around canvassing the puppets to find out who wants to become a contestant. Like last time, she is aiming to get 10 puppets to apply and the readers will whittle it down to 5 puppets. Over three weeks these Dedes will have to battle it out to find out who will become the Super Dede 2016.

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We had a really tough weekend at the Dede household with lots of crying and desperation. Devil was frustrated. His “Freeday” didn’t turn out as he expected. One of the Instagram readers suspected that it is just another devilish ruse and who knows how much you really have pay for it in the end. The reader made a good point. Devil has no idea how other people perceive him. Of course, he thinks he is the nicest Dede on the planet. We won’t burst his bubble, but it does explain why his generous offer wasn’t taken up in droves. He has kindly extended the offer until the 5th of June 2016. And no, it isn’t a devilish ruse. The book really is free (go to Smashwords.com and enter the code VV39S before you check out to get your free copy).

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One of our followers,  Jessie Martinovic in Australia, downloaded the book and sent us a wonderful message (see comment in the previous post). Thank you so much Jessie for this amazing feedback, it made my day. Unfortunately it was too late to lift Devil’s spirits.  You know how it is, once you are in this downward spiral, you go down, down, down until you hit the ground. So Mouse and Devil, who are usually an excellent team, sat down together and cried their little hearts out. Each of them tried to outdo the other as to who is the poorer puppet. In the end Mouse pointed out that it is dire for them all as I have set up another instagram account called beyond_the_dedes. I won’t tell you what Devil called me on instagram, but I can assure you, he wasn’t the nicest puppet on the planet then :)) I knew very well they won’t like it. They really want to have my full attention. But I can’t help it, I do other stuff as well! At least now we have proper separation.

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Yesterday, the benevolent King had enough of their antics. He looked at the sorry pair and remarked that it doesn’t help anyone when they drown themselves in a sea of snot-drenched hankies. That made them think and when Chambermaid came along this morning to clean up their mess, they listened to her suggestion.

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Once she had picked up all the hankies, Chambermaid dragged a big piece of fabric into the room and suggested they should make a theatre curtain from the material and run another Super Dede Competition. The 2016 version. Devil wasn’t entirely convinced. He knows how much work it is and they would also need support from the readers to make it work. But don’t forget, a minute earlier he was still very depressed, and just putting the idea to the readers is something of a victory for Chambermaid. She of course dreams of becoming a contestant and that could mean “good bye snotty hankies for ever!”

Mouse doesn’t have an opinion. As usual, she just wants to be busy. Faster than you can say boo she got her clipboard out to make notes about how the whole thing could work across two platforms: Instagram and the blog.

So what do you think?

 

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Mouse had taken on the promotion of The Super Dede Competition ebook, despite she has no clue about marketing. She did it basically because no-one else held their hand up (as usual), but somehow the book needs to be advertised. She was adamant it had to be an Instagram promotion, as the Dedes seem to be going well there. So she spent a day researching and then jumped onto the computer to create a regram ad with popular Chambermaid as the poster girl. Devil, who used to be the spokes person, poo-pooed her attempt and said  no-one would regram an ad for a book of the value of US$3.99. Most of the Dede followers on Instagram have a particular aesthetic on their site and such a regram ad would stick out like a sore thumb. Mouse was still thinking about an appropriate response, when Harvey, the rabbit came along and said the book should be free anyway. This was too much for Mouse and she had one of her break-downs, that unfortunately happen all too often as she works far too hard.  Devil could see:  Yes, Harvey had a point, but so had Mouse.  The book should be free to our followers, but we cannot do everything for free forever. At this point he volunteered to take over the ebook promotion. After all he used to be the MC for the “Super Dede Competition” and if the book sells it is in his best interest. His solution was to make the ebook free until Saturday, the 28th of May 2016.

So, head over to Smashwords.com and get your free copy. Enter the code VV39S before you check out. 

Of course if you want to support the Dedes feel free to buy the book. If you like the Dedes, tell everyone about it. And if you don’t like it,  keep your mouth shut. :)

“Really!” said Mouse, “isn’t that obvious? Do we have to say that? Oh, …I hate marketing!”

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Yes, the Dedes are back to normal. Unfortunately part of their normality is their struggle for survival. They don’t want to have anything for free, but for some of them it is very difficult. Look, for example, at Rob D Light. He has been looking for a job for ever and lives under a blanket of newspapers. His old one is ripped and he gratefully grabbed the discarded ransom note because it was glued on 120gsm paper. That will be a bit warmer than the thin newsprint in the approaching New Zealand winter.

SuperDedeCompetition_CoverMouse said Cool Cat should do some work to get noticed, but that is easier said than done. Mouse works relentlessly. She is a workaholic to be precise, but does she earn a decent income? No! She has put together the Artist’s Survival Cookbook which is available in print, and just two days ago, she put the latest publication The Super Dede Competition as an ebook on smashwords. The problem is the marketing. Not one Dede is an expert at that.

So, Mouse has taken charge of this now as well. She put the price on US$3.99, which for an ebook might appear a bit dear, but she argued it should be viewed as a donation to the Dedes. They don’t want to have anything for free, though it is obvious they can’t survive on thin air. “Look at it” she said defending her decision. “It is the price of a cup of coffee”. Then she went on to explain where the money is going. $1 from each book goes to Rob D Light and another $1 goes to L’Artiste so he can continue his carefree work. The rest that is not withheld by Smashwords for administration will go to repay debts the Dedes have accumulated in recent years. Originally she wanted to put it in the kitty for a rainy day, but no, it is better to get rid of debts first the others said.

So here we are: click on the image, buy the book, donate to the Dedes and tell all your friends about it. The Dedes will be eternally grateful.

xxx

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The Dedes are back to their old antics. The exhibition opening is over, mother’s day with all its warm and fuzzies is over. Remember in my last post I revealed I particularly like the cow, as she has my eyes, and Devil as he was the first puppet. Two of the lesser known Dedes, Magician and Eve L. took issue with the fact that I have favourites and decided to do something about it. Though they didn’t compare notes of what they are going to do and each of them approached the issue from a different angle.

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Eve L. requested some old newspapers and packaging tape and disappeared into the studio rustling about all day. The next day she appeared and announced that she had figured out I obviously liked puppets with horns, therefore she adorned herself with a homemade contraption so I would love her more. Mhm. Interesting! I have to say her sample data was a little too small. She obviously looked at one post only. If she had followed the blog more carefully she would realise that there are plenty of puppets without horns who feature strongly.

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Anyway Cool Cat looked at Eve L and said it is not a good idea to do things only to be loved and accepted. Right she looked pretty silly, didn’t she.

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When Magician had seen the newspaper he had the idea to write a ransom note to the artist (that would be me). His announcement to do this and the proof of taking action (the picture of him fetching the scissors) had the most views on the Dede Instagram site so far. I have to ponder what this is telling me.

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Anyway he demanded equal treatment of all puppets and delivered the note anonymously. Though it didn’t quite work as the hat was a give away.  I was a bit confused. You might know that one of my favourite signs is the saltire (x) as it is very ambiguous. I looked at the note and wondered, if Magician is not able to sign his name or if he sent three kisses with the note.

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Before I could make up my mind, Milky Bar Devil grabbed the note and ripped it up. Remember the last we saw of Milky Bar Devil was when he was ordered to read a big pile of philosophy books. And sure enough, the reading had an impact on him. He said: “Rubbish, you don’t need to treat everyone the same, you should treat everyone fairly, right?”

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In the meantime Cool Cat, who is – just like any other cat – far too proud to join the crowd, asked what one HAS to do to feature in any of the Dedes stories.  Mouse, who happened to walk past just said: “Do some work”

Yes, you see, everything is back to normal.

 

 

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I am often asked how the Dede puppets came about and I think now is an appropriate time to tell the story as it was Mother’s Day last Sunday.

Here is the short version of the story:

When I was little, my mother used to tell us kids about a devil hand puppet she once made but left behind when moving house. I never saw the puppet but she talked about it with such passion that in my mind it must have been the most beautiful hand puppet ever. Some decades later I tried to get rid of a rather large pile of newspaper and I was quite surprised when I suddenly had a very strong desire to make a devil hand puppet. My mother and I didn’t have a particularly good relationship and when I started making the puppets I realised I was about the same age my mother was when she told me about her puppet. Anyway, the devil turned out beautifully – even if I do say so myself – and I continued making more. Within a week I had a cast of fifteen and they were received very favourably by my friends. At this stage my mother was still alive and could see pictures of the first puppets and hear how well they were received. Sadly she passed away shortly after. I can but view the puppets as my mother’s legacy to me. There isn’t a day when I don’t think about her and develop a better understanding of her life and her motivations.

In the picture above Cash Cow, who has my eyes, holds a picture of my mother. Can you see the similarity?

Below is my very first Dede puppet, Devil. He will always have a special place in my heart, even though I am sure he has nothing in common with my mother’s devil.

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harvey lotto
The Dedes are getting on with their lives as usual. They all have their own ways of dealing with the current situation Harvey for example is dreaming of the big lottery win and Pig and Professor are out on the turps.

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On Sunday they woke up and wondered what the white residue in the bottle might be. They looked, turned the bottle, looked again.  Both agreed it looked suspiciously like a pickled brain, but neither of them wanted to admit that maybe the alcohol was taking it’s toll.  Gee were they reliefed when Top Dog came in and asked what they were doing with his bottle. Everybody knows that Top Dog has drowned his grey matter in the substance a long time ago.

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Meanwhile L’Artiste is preparing for an exhibition he is taking part in. Unfortunately Sunny, the wannabe artist, has broken L’Artiste’s jigsaw just when he needed it the most. Sunny didn’t apologise, he just grinned like an idiot – I assume because he felt really guilty – and quickly scuffled off

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As Sunny doesen’t have the money to replace the jigsaw blade L’Artiste said he has to help him with his preparations for the exhibtions – to pay for it. Though the master is not very pleasant at the moment. When it comes to putting the finishing touches to the work he is always unsure about everything. He wants to discuss the finer detail with Sunny. But the assistant with  his overly happy disposition believes everything will be just fine. He simply can’t understand why L’Artiste painfully deliberates over every little detail. “Who cares!” he says.  “It is not your heart, that will be nailed to the wall”, says L’Artiste disappointedly and continues deliberating.

This might explain why L’Artiste is the more successful artist and Sunny still a wannabe, eh.

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Just in case you are interested, here are the four works L’Artiste is putting into the exhibition.

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Down the road from the fairytale gardens (2011)

Black and white photograph on 220gsm lustre paper, mounted and framed | Framed size 600mm by 440mm | Edition of 3 prints.

A walk down memory lane, this image is a homage to those who, for whatever reason, failed  to prosper in a seemingly nourishing environment. The dead tree is uncomfortably juxtaposed with the peaceful glade and the channel of light that symbolises hope. The image was taken in a nature park in my hometown in Germany.

 

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Enigma (2014)

Composite photographic print mounted floating on layers of black paper. | Framed size 330mm x 330mm | Edition of 3 prints

A very personal description of a typical German baby boomer conundrum: the riddle of our parents’ generation’s inability to trust and communicate. It interweaves my mother’s Red Cross Helper’s badge with a well-used page of her cookbook. The swastika emblem on the rim of the badge painfully alludes to an undisclosed past negating the caring symbolism of the image. The red cross is placed on it’s side to look like an x in an official stamp, which loudly declares the key message of my parent’s generation: “Don’t ask!”

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From a distance (2016)

Mixed Media. | Dimensions 390mm x 390mm

Impossible and inconclusive ponderings on the refugee crisis in Europe from a distance. The white raft is approaching the rigid mainland and breaking its boundaries.

With this work I returned to my favorite symbol of ambiguity – the saltire (x). Depending on the viewpoint, it can mean “x marks the spot” like on a treasure map or it might mean “no entry”

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Absolutely for or totally against it (2016)

Acrylic paint on wood | Size 295mm by 163mm

The work is a reminder of the possible and peaceful coexistence of conflicting opinions about the same issue. Concurrently, the thin separating line and parallel tracks stipulate the impossibility of converging these differing notions, even in the future.

 

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The Dedes are in a strange state at the moment. We are currently preparing to move to the countryside and there is heaps to do on the house before this happens. The strange is, the Dedes came to life when we extended the house and created a big studio space. Now they seem to die, because we are about to leave. I am truly looking forward to new beginnings, though at the same time I still have trouble letting go of this perfect space we have created here. It has been my safe haven in recent years, when my outside world seemed to be collapsing around me. I don’t know when, if ever, I will be able to create something I am equally comfortable with. But before we move we have to get rid of a lot of junk. (This is exactly the reason why I created the Dedes in 2012 – I had to clear out the spare room and get rid of all the old newspapers). This time I have to get rid of a lot of building material :)

A friend of mine, who was one of my students years back, has created an amazing studio space in Mt Eden in Auckland and she has invited me to take part in a big opening exhibition at the end of the month. So L’Artiste is in a flurry to finish off half completed work. Sometimes he is totally lost in his studio. Can you find him in the picture below?

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Devil pushed Bad Conscience to free Mr Vague from his grip. We all know it is not particularly nice when Bad Conscience latches on to you, but now that he was on the receiving end of unpleasant treatment, he made a big scene. He fell to the ground and whinged incessantly, calling Devil a bully. Devil immediately checked whether he sustained an injury and once he found out that this was not the case said, “You really deserved that!”

Devil is also responsible for educating the little devils – there are quite a few among the Dedes, not all of them show their horns openly. As a good educator,  he likes to make his teaching relevant and posed the question; “What actually makes you a devil?” Milky Bar Devil, who is the starpupil, immediately raised his hand to give the answer, but Devil wanted to hear from the audience. Sadly no-one came forward with an answer, so Milky Bar Devil got his chance in the end. But instead of answering, the inquisitive little mind asked if being a devil wouldn’t be a matter of perception.

Now Evan G List, who is a stickler for rules, entered the scene. Very patronisingly he patted the little scholar on his back and said while there is something in the question, the pupil should look into morals, values and beliefs. Milky Bar Devil got a little annoyed and reminded him that he is only in Lesson 1 of his training. He can’t possibly know the ins and outs of such a tricky and contentious subject already.