Poppets and Puppets: Articulations of Analog and Animistic Intelligence with Emily Hunt

A two-day masterclass exploring puppetry, folk magic, animism and material imagination through contemporary artistic practice with Berlin based Australian artist and researcher, Emily Hunt.

Across two immersive days, participants are invited into Emily Hunt's richly researched and materially generous practice, where conceptual inquiry, historical research and experimental making converge through the creation of puppets, poppets and marionettes. Moving between visual lectures, hands-on making and reflective conversation, the workshop explores animism, magic, material intelligence and the more-than-human as living companions to contemporary artistic practice.

Section One: Visual Lecture

The workshop opens with a short introduction by artist Emily Hunt, who will present her multifaceted practice spanning print, collage, painting and ceramics. Emily will share insights into her research-driven approach, discussing how she transforms scholarly inquiry into tangible art forms, inviting participants into a similarly research-led process where academic research becomes a catalyst for creative experimentation.

A visual lecture follows, tracing the animistic cultural history of the puppet from its earliest forms to contemporary art practice. Beginning with the Hermetic concept of the homunculus and the origins of the automaton, the lecture explores how dolls and puppets have functioned across art history and continue to shape contemporary artistic practice. Particular attention will be given to the work of Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Jim Henson, Saskia de Boer, Hans Bellmer, Asta Gröting, Étienne Bideau-Rey, Robert Anton, Sally Smart and Wael Shawky.

The lecture will also delve into the magical counterpart of the puppet: the poppet. Traditionally believed to possess the power to influence the mind of its creator and alter reality, the poppet or puppet emerges as a particularly potent tool, an autonomous entity seemingly ‘released’ from another realm to act on behalf of its creator. In the realm of folk magic and witchcraft, a poppet is a meticulously crafted figurine symbolising an individual, used to cast spells or provide magical assistance. Discoveries of these figurines within chimneys are well-documented.

Section Two: Making Workshop

Taking inspiration from the lecture, participants begin by loosening up and generating new ideas through play with analog materials. Using painting, bricolage and sculpture and guided by short deadlines and material-led exploration. The workshop embraces chance, the cut-up method with a Surrealist sensibility. Over the course of the two days, each participant will construct a sculptural marionette or puppet. We begin by exploring found, recycled and natural materials as the foundation for each puppet or poppet. Clay, fabric, seeds, branches, cardboard, polystyrene and other everyday materials become companions in the making process.

Section Three: Group Discussion & Reflection

To close, the group comes together for a facilitated discussion. Participants share how their creative process unfolded, reflect on the connections between the lecture and their making, and exchange ideas with fellow participants, drawing together the conceptual, material and personal threads that have emerged across the two days, deepening the learning experience for everyone involved.

Learning Intentions

This workshop bridges theoretical inquiry and hands-on art-making. Participants will:

* Engage with the cultural and art-historical lineage of puppets and poppets.

* Experiment across painting, assemblage and sculptural making using found and reclaimed materials.

* Explore chance-based and intuitive approaches to creative process.

* Develop and complete an articulated marionette or puppet informed by personal research and material exploration.

Australian-born and Berlin-based, Emily Hunt has developed an extraordinary international practice spanning ceramics, drawing, painting, etching and sculpture.

Her background as a rare-book dealer informs an encyclopaedic approach to artmaking, as she investigates the visual technologies of magic and their relationship to ornamental form. Her work has been exhibited widely, including recent museum exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Huis van het Boek in The Hague.

This November marks a significant moment: Emily’s work will appear in the National Portrait Gallery exhibition Maiden Mother Crone, alongside Del Kathryn Barton and Jess Johnson.

www.emilyhunt.de

While back in Australia, Emily is making time for one workshop only. With us!

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th December
10 - 4pm