While researching possible figures to embody the spirit of VisArt, I discovered early French filmmaker Alice Guy-Blache. One of the first narrative filmmakers and the first woman to direct a film, she began her career as a secretary who borrowed a camera on her lunch break to experiment. At a time when cinema had no rules, she was able to play freely with the form. Her daring perfectly mirrored VisArt's ethos-a place where experimentation is actively encouraged, especially when you have no idea what the heck you're doing.
Many of Guy-Blache's films have been lost, and by the end of her life, as the film industry became more commercialized, her career had largely faded from the public view. Building her as a towering pageant puppet felt like an act of revival, an honoring of her legacy and audacity.
The puppet was constructed through much trial and error utilizing materials such as interlocking foam gym mats sourced from my garden shed, thrifted cotton batting, and curtains stolen-ahem-I mean borrowed from my parents house. Her debut took place in January of 2025 in the back alley parking lot of the strip mall where VisArt is located. Spectators were also participants, getting the opportunity to help manipulate her arms and bring her to life.
Watching her tower above us, dignified yet playful, I felt like one proud puppet mama.
