Barnaby Dixonโs incredible two-piece creations redefine the notion of hand puppets, by moving and responding in highly nuanced, realistic ways.
The pinkie and index finger of one hand slip into the creatureโs arms, leaving the thumb free to operate the tiny controls that tilt head and mouth movements.
The pinkie and index finger of one hand slip into the creatureโs legs, an attribute few hand puppets can claim.
A waistline magnet joins the puppetโs top half to its bottom.
His goal is for viewers to โforget the mechanisms and forget the process thatโs gone into making it so they can just enjoy the motions.โ
Each character has a unique set of motions and a custom-designed plastic, silicone and metal assembly, informed by many hours of anatomical observation and study. Their structures speak to Dixonโs early years as a stop motion animator, as do his fabrication methods.
His frustration with the glacial pace of achieving the end product in that realm spurred him to experiment with puppets who could be filmed moving in real time.
His first puppet, Dab Chick, below, holds a special place in his heart, and is also one of his mouthiest.
Dab Chickโs tiny head cocks on spectacle hinges and a hand-wound spring wrapped in silicone. The mechanism that opens and closes his beak is a miniature spin on bicycle hand brakes.
While many of Dixonโs recent puppets thrive in a Day-Glo, synth-heavy environment, Dab Chick is a crowd-pleasing curmudgeon, spouting opinions and repartee. He even plays drunkโฆ a hard assignment for any performer to pull off, but Dixon nails it.
Phil the fish is operated with two rods. He performs best in water, appropriately enough, highlighting his talent for blowing bubbles, as well as Dixonโs for using physics to his advantage.
Many puppeteers match their breathing to that of their puppetโs in an effort to get into the zone. Dixon takes it to the next level by streaming real time video of his mouth to a tiny screen embedded below the nose of the puppet he is operating.
In addition to creating and directing original work, he puppeteered the True History of Thra, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceโs play within a play and designed the origami-inspired, animal-shaped demon puppets for the Bridge Theatre production of Book of Dust โ La Belle Sauvage.
The Guardian lauded the latter as โgorgeous,โ a โmarvel (that) seem like Jungian projections rather than airy, fantastical creatures.โ
Watch more of Barnaby Dixonโs puppet videos here.
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โย Ayun Hallidayย is the Chief Primatologist ofย the East Village Inkyย zine and author, most recently, ofย Creative, Not Famous: The Small Potato Manifestoย andย Creative, Not Famous Activity Book. Follow herย @AyunHalliday.