Pocket cinema: Karakuri by Matthew Allard
Oh, I’m back to blogging, my dear friendz! Just had some cluttered weekz, and absolutely great echo after visiting Belgrade’s Napravi Me! / Make Me Festival in the middle of June. The input I’ve got there was so strong, so I needed the other way out to articulate thingz.
Short documentary Karakuri by Matthew Allard had been already widespread all around the web. It’s a movie I wanted to publish at the beginning of June, but then I had mini break… So, it’s never too late for a good dox here! Karakuri is a traditional Japanese puppet craft, actually an ancient variant of robotics.
Matthew Allard (c) shooting Karakuri documentary
Photo taken from DSLR News Shooter
Mechanical fragility: Dolls by Yotsuya Simon – gallery
Japanese artist Yotsuya Simon dedicated almost his entire life to studies on human body. I don’t have to mention that Japanese surrealism, jazz music and seeing Hijikata Tatsumi’s Butoh performance have influenced Yotsuya Simon‘s aesthetics and body of work.
Bodies of his dolls are tangible and fragile, open and humorous, yet very strong in expressiveness. Probably the most intriguing sets of contemporary angels I have ever saw.
Mechanical Girl 1, detail by Yotsuya Simon, 1983 (c)