The following are my notes from a talk I gave to the BioTensegrity Trailblazers group in 2023. One day I’ll format them for more coherent digestion.

There are a lot of things that puppets are good at. My interest: Uncanny Movement.

“Uncanny” is strange, mysterious and unsettling. It often implies a feeling of being surprised or confused by something that is eerily familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Good Puppetry

Uncanny life. Goddamn I love this play. Three people is so many people, though.

Uncanny life. Goddamn I love this play. Three people is so many people, though.

When I saw a video of Tom Flemon’s torso and pelvis model, I flipped.

When I saw a video of Tom Flemon’s torso and pelvis model, I flipped.

Ultimately people need to feel the things for themselves. Seeing it move, and like, really move.

• Learning sticks better with emotion.
• The illusion of life. Uncanny recognition.
• A good object speaks without words. It reveals something about how the world works.

Puppet Problems

• Widespread social misunderstanding (in the US). These things can be true, but are over-applied.
  • Puppets are for kids
  • Puppets are creepy
• The Uncanny Valley
  • The more mechanisms, the more problems
• Most puppets work against you. Not with you.
  • Puppets are heavy.
  • Non-integrated bodies. Even the lightweight ones.
• The articulate ones need a lot of puppeteers. And training.

Barriers to widespread adoption or understanding.

• Tensegrity looks mathy. Negative associations with polyhedra. Even that word. Tensegrity is a ridiculous word (sorry, Bucky)
• Words. There are fantastic books that articulate what the heck is happening, but I imagine it’s difficult for folks who are not bodyworkers, artists, etc…
• The icosahedron is rad, but limited. People don’t see themselves in it. Mathy.