Workshop
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The Museum Proper is a puppetry performance troupe under the direction of Dax Tran-Caffee. Contrary to most museums, the Museum Proper is not a place to visit, nor is it a collection of objects that have cleverly outlasted their usefulness, but if a museum is in fact "incongruity born of the overzealous spirit in the face of unfathomable phenomena," then this is the Museum Proper. Clothed in puppetry, the Museum Proper forages the Uncanny Valley in search of Ryle's ghost in the machine. |
"[...] there is no showmanship, legerdemain, pretense or fanfare in the presentation of this non-traditional puppetry [...] - meanwhile, glowing stars pop out of suitcases of their own accord, and apparitions rise out of heaps of cardboard and collapse just as quickly. Nothing is hidden in the straight-forward construction of the puppets and apparatuses, and yet each piece unfolds a moment of magic that is as moving as it was direct. These shows cleverly present the fascination that has been lost to us since childhood, though you wouldn't imagine how simply it was achieved." "[...] magic — not the Harry Potter kind, not the slick Las Vegas stuff, but the kind that, from simple parts or unextraordinary means, can kindle something truly haunting, funny, tender, frightening, mischievous or endearing into being[...]: potent magic whose humble elements belie its grace and supple power." "[I've] always marveled at his skill as a visual artist, his presence as a musician and the ways he allows these two worlds to intersect on stage." |
Upcoming Presentations: Dax is hard at work building new contraptions, but there are no scheduled performances or presentations as of August 2010. Dax is performing regularly with smaller puppet shows & Corpus Callosum. You can follow him on twitter @bustedpuppet, or visit www.norestforthewicked.biz |
Performance History:
"the Museum Proper" photo documentation video footage Puppets from this show were put on display at the 2010 this show debuted at
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Video Documentation of the June 4th 2010 debut performance at the SubZERO Festival in San Jose, CA:
(video also viewable on youtube) The Jubjub Bird, in progress, demonstrated at the Museum Proper booth at Maker Faire 2010:
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For more images and video, the Museum Proper regularly updates these streams:
Physical Press: please contact dax@museumproper.com for high-resolution images.
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Artist Bios Director:
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| "the Museum Proper" (street puppet performance, June 2010) Puppeteers: Understudy: Musicians: Builder: Workshop Assistants: |
This is an entirely independent artistic project, and exists only through blood, sweat, tears - and your support. To raise money for our next project we are selling block prints of the Bandersnatch puppet, as well as a few small pieces of original art. | |
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The prints are hand-printed (without a press) linocuts by Dax Tran-Caffee, 6x9" on Rives BFK cotton paper, and are a limited edition of 135 signed/numbered prints. You can purchase these prints through our etsy store for $15 each - we will also be selling these prints at Museum Proper events, while the supply lasts.
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These collages are composed of garbage collected from the workshop floor during the building of the Museum Proper: simple, non-archival materials, in the spirit of the heroic Bread & Puppet's "Cheap Art Manifesto." A series of 30 of these pieces were made as rewards for the Kickstarter fundraiser in Feb 2010. A handful of these original works of art are still available at $25 each, only through our etsy store. |
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To schedule a drop-off/pick-up of material donations, email dax@museumproper.com. | |
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And please help us spread the word by writing us up in your blog, linking your friends to our projects, and talking us up on the street! |
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The Museum Proper Email List |
You can contact us directly at: |
We also looking for donations of materials. In particular, our workshop needs:
