Originally my first reactions to Alex Bag's work were a bit mixed. While I thought her acting and use of make-up and wardrobe were very unique, I thought it was a little over the top with the puppetry skits. They were entertaining, but didn't really relate to much to her confessional routine. They were almost random acts of nonsense, like watching an episode of "Jack-Ass."
However, they were entertaining and thoughtful, whether she chose to make a statement on culture, education, social problems, or what have you. On youtube, I had searched for some interesting diaretical confessions used as installation work, but couldn't find very much relating to Bag's work.
So, I chose to focus more on the puppetry show of her "untitled fall '95" piece and found some interesting works. The one I found here (on the link below) was a series of shorts on a mockery of harry potter characters. They exploit the emotions and personalities of the characteres from the books, but predominantly, the movie actors. In a way it was symbolic of the gremlin and monster, as well as the bunny, in Alex Bag's film.
All of our assumptions onf those personalities and the stereotypes are presented perfectly and the comical humor (as with Ronald McDonald and E.T.) are illustrated as if real human actors simply used brought to life with simple puppetry. An interesting and thoughtful method, no matter how contrived and irritating it might well be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD-Huwlg2kY&NR=1
1 comment:
Nate,
Interesting choice of video; A more distinct relation to Alex Bag's Video. Besides the physicality and emotions of the puppets, how does the content of these puppet's narrative relate to those of Alex Bag's? It's interesting how you relate them to the gremlin and monster; I'd like to hear more expansion.
Good post.
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