And back. Here you can see a few images of my research on making eyes, without using glass in this case. These are my first attempt, they are OK, but. Many BUT’s. The test series is definitely not yet completed.

Josiane Keller “making eyes” (2015)

And, just to keep my head nice and fit (who in the world would be willing to do just one project at a time, right?) I am having a show coming up this summer, details will be revealed later on; the title/thema is:  ホテル (“hotel-hotel”).

So I have to create the characters. In order not to spoil the fun, I decided for this project to be very stingy with info about how I am making what, but maybe a few pics should be fine.

The first completed puppet is ‘Starfish’ aka ‘Antony‘ a young transgender born lady working on becoming a man, who is also jobbing as a photo-model for surrealist photographers (what else?)

At this point s/he needs some more make-up and additional clothes, but so far have a peek:

Josiane Keller “Starfish aka Antony” (2016)

S/he looks mighty cute right now, but along the course of events it will be a different ball game.

S/he started out like something manageable and then issues popped up. For example: as opposed to the puppets I created so far for most of my stills the figures for this project have joints, like the ones for the Japanese puppet film, too. Only I was a bit too much thinking ball joint doll, without having the expertise of my friend Kazumi Seki (who with one look at my parts could have told me where I would struggle later on). The point is, my puppets are a combination of various techniques and then miniature, joints in that scale are very tricky.

So ‘Starfish’ may need a leg operation tonight. And more clothes, I think.

A few hours later:

leg operation after hours of struggle, concentration and regrets, mainly to have fired this clay at cone 6 instead of cone 1.
The potters among you will know what I am talking about, anyways, the porcelain used goes up to cone 6, considerably higher temperature, which makes the clay after firing harder but also causes more shrinking of the whole thing. You would probably not see it with the naked eye, but the holes I had punched into the limbs to pull an 18 gauge wire through were now consequently super tight, at times too tight, and that is were cunning improvisation is needed.
Or, the other alternative and incredibly ZEN: accepting the imperfections of life, in fact: embracing and welcoming them, because life is not perfect!

Oh well. The result is OK for now, and I learned my lesson: back to cone 1.

(* Actually, I anyways did stick to cone 6 for more strength also with the next figures)

For those people who are new to my work and who have not seen how the puppets in the end will look like photographed, a peek here, the final photographs that are meant to be not production diary but final work look very different, like for example these:

Josiane Keller “Starfish on the sofa” (2016)

Josiane Keller “Starfish on the sofa 2” (2016)

Josiane Keller “Starfish on the sofa 3” (2016)

Josiane Keller “Starfish on the sofa 4” (2016)

Josiane Keller “Starfish on the sofa 5” (2016)