the puppet

Thought behind the Thought

We think of puppets as things with no will and no mind of their own, don't we? And so much is said about man being a puppet at the hands of fate, with the God almighty pulling the strings! And then we feel helpless for all that happens to us and around us.

We feel that the Master controls the puppet, holding the strings firmly in his hands. But doesn't the puppet hold his attention, and his mind too? And isn't that being more in control? For while the master is at it, he can do little else.

All he can do is believe that he is holding the puppet while the puppet is holding his mind!

About the Art
Puppet theatre effectively uses lifeless things to portray the many colours of life. The involvement of the puppet artists who are actually behind the stage is as much, or even more than what it would have been if they were performing on it. The puppets, with their painted faces and costumes enact storylines and portray the emotions of the backstage performers.  Puppet making is a traditional craft practised in many cultures of the world, including India (wherte it is known as Kathputali)

The art and craft have survived for centuries, and are also a part of the contemporary art world. Do watch the amazing puppet performance on display in the video below.

Philippe Genty is a French writer and creator of theatre shows based on contemporary puppetry. The Compagnie Philippe Genty , founded in 1968 along with Mary Underwood, mixes in its shows various types of puppets, theater, dance, mime, games of shadows and lights, music and sounds. 

This is how he describes his creative process:
"Everything starts with writing and sketches. Very soon, I need to define the decor, which will immerse me in an environment, giving me possibilities and limitations. The decor is never realistic, it must be constantly evolving, thereby giving free reign to the spectator's imagination.

I've always had a strong aversion for side entrances. Characters suddenly appear on the stage, "from the subconscious", they evolve, they transform, and then they disappear. For a long time I wondered where this quasi-visceral refusal of off-stage entrances could come from. Maybe it's because in my dreams the characters never appear from the sides!"

Source and Credits for information
http://www.philippegenty.com/en/compagnie/
http://translate.google.co.in/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Genty&prev=search