Visit to Julian Crouch's Studio in Brooklyn

Tucked away in an industrial part of Brooklyn is a magical workshop brimming with curiosities and sinister looking characters - I have a penchant for things like these.

This Monday I had the pleasure of visiting Julian Crouch's studio in Brooklyn. I met Julian after a performance of Birdheart in San Francisco a few months ago. When I planned my trip to New York it had to include a visit to the master puppet maker's studio. I realized that I had been following his work for years without knowing it. I had been showing my puppetry class images culled offline and from the New York Times, even using the soundtrack from Shock Headed Peter, a production he worked on with the band the Tiger Lillies.

Julian is currently working on a job for a production at La Scala among other projects.

Works in progress.

Julian near some of his creations.

Some leftover heads from Birdheart with another painting as a backdrop.

One of Julian's paintings.

Julian uses a lot of natural materials in making his puppets from baskets, and bark to tree sap based glue and burlap and what appeared to be real teeth and bones.

Julian with a work in progress.

Helping out on a project was, puppeteer and musician, Erik Sanko. Erik is also a puppeteer I've admired for making creepy, hoary marionettes. I've had a poster from his production The Fortune Teller  on my classroom wall for years from one of my favorite little theaters in NYC called the HERE Theater.

With Erik Sanko

With Julian and friend and fellow puppeteer, Andrea Lomanto.

What a treat to discover two great puppeteers in one visit. I guess I got lucky. Scroll down for images of more puppets from past productions.

 

Sunridge Students Prepare for a Processional

Trompin' Manikins members Michele Wetherbee and Merrie Rivera taught students skills in puppet making at Sunridge Waldorf School this spring. Here are a few examples.

International Puppet Festival- September 2017

Prehistoric Creatures

Showstoppasaurus. These guys are amazing.

Posted by Mark Patterson Show on Friday, October 30, 2015

Birdheart Playing in San Francisco

http://zspace.org/new-work/birdheart

B I R D H E A R T Interview with Artists from VisionIntoArt Presents on Vimeo.

On April, 16th I went to see Birdheart at ZSpace in San Francisco. With simple materials and a touch of magic, the puppeteers, Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane brought to life a series of characters made of butcher paper and a few odds and ends. As a prelude, the work opened with  the puppeteers creating masks on themselves. As the masks were being made the puppeteers became the puppets and ended the piece by playing cello and banjo together.

With the crack of an egg the magic commenced. One form morphed into the next in a dark and poetic way.  I would love to describe the whole show but that would take away the awe. Puppet shows are meant to be experienced.

Without knowing it I have been a fan of Julian Crouch's work, collecting images from his productions and assigning my students to make puppet videos using the soundtrack of "Shockheaded Peter"for inspiration.

Thanks for a great show!

Face made by the puppeteers for the 1st part of the performance.

More Characters on their Way

This face was constructed by students two years ago. A few Trompin' Manikins artists created the headdress and added hair. She's a bit top heavy but ready to go!

 Our Chinese exchange students sculpted this head and started the first layer of paper mache. SA students finished the paper mache. The rest was finished by Trompin' M.

This skull is used for Day of the Dead processions and Halloween.

Music Videos that Incorporate Puppetry

Manthe Riban performs as a puppet in this fashion video.

https://vimeo.com/105566634

 

Kate Bush

If you know of any other music videos which incorporate interesting uses of puppetry please send me the links! I know there are many more.

 

 There are lots of music videos with muppet-like puppets such as the one below but I like videos that incorporate different uses of puppet styles.