(c) February 2010 Angela K. Mack

It was Gallery Night in the Third Ward of Milwaukee.   We went into the Artasia Gallery.  Tucked away in the back of the store there must have been hundreds of wooden and cloth asian puppets lying in a heap on a table.  I was totally mesmerized.

I sat and stared at the puppets recalling my own fear of puppets as a child as well as my own intrigue.  I was fascinated by their “creepiness” as well as their beauty.    But most of all, I wanted to create a story for all of them.  Lying in a heap was a mound of characters just waiting to come alive.

It is the blank slate that has always grabbed my fascination.  Why?  Because creativity can be produced with a blank slate.  In the same way that I love blank journals, I loved the limp puppets in Artasia.  Oh the possibilities!  My mind began to imagine characters and stories.  I stared at their faces and wondered what they would say if they could talk.  I wanted to take them all home with me. 

Weird?  Not really.  Especially when you have grown up in the 70s with shows like Sesame Street and the Muppet Show.  Jim Henson also loved puppets and changed a generation with his puppets and imagination.  Am I going to become the next Jim Henson?  No.  But, who knows, my newfound fascination with puppets might just be another fad that I tend to go through.  But then again, something might grow from this new fascination.

Puppets can be extremely symbolic with both positive and negative connotations.  Negative connotations associated with puppets stem from the notions of control and being controlled.  On the other hand, puppets can be a “blank slate” as I mentioned earlier where the possibilities for creative stories and characters are endless.  I was just reminded tonight that one of my favorite things to do as a child was to play with “shadow puppets”.  I would turn off the lights in my room, turn on the flashlight and use my hands to create elaborate stories.  Those early encounters with imagination, improvisation, and performance would later enhance my love for the performing arts.

Seeing how mesmerized I was by the Chinese puppets at Artasia, my husband decided to find me one on Ebay.  And he did just that.  The photos associated with this blog are my new puppet.  He will soon arrive.  I think I might name him Louie.  Who knows. 

I can’t really afford to begin collecting puppets.  But if you happen to have one that needs a home, I’ll gladly adopt it!