Shinkafu Puppet Build Log

Shinkafu Puppet Build Log

Great Lakes Experimental Arts (GLEA) gave me a grant to pay a large part of the expense to create this puppet. Its name is Shinkafu. (Shin - spirit. Ka - fire. Fu - cloth.) I built it with assistance from Megan Steltz, Kara Bradley, Bree Bartholomew, Patrick Day, and many others. As of this writing, three days from now I'm going to present it at GLEA's annual event, Lakes Of Fire, a local regional satellite event of Burning Man.

A pattern, from which to cut a piece of the puppet out of a sheet of gymnasium floor rubber.
A pattern, from which to cut a piece of the puppet out of a sheet of gymnasium floor rubber.
Kara Bradley sews a bicep of the puppet.
Kara Bradley sews a bicep of the puppet.
Kara Bradley sews a bicep of the puppet.
Kara Bradley sews a bicep of the puppet.
A pattern is laid out over a sheet of gynmasium floor rubber. These are parts of a thigh.
A pattern is laid out over a sheet of gynmasium floor rubber. These are parts of a thigh.
Applying PVC glue.
Applying PVC glue.
Joints for the hips and shoulders to attach to the spine.
Joints for the hips and shoulders to attach to the spine.
The hips segment of the bamboo and PVC skeleton.
The hips segment of the bamboo and PVC skeleton.
Sewing the midriff to the chest.
Sewing the midriff to the chest.
The bamboo spine will fit through the vertical PVC.
The bamboo spine will fit through the vertical PVC.
Lifting the pelvis, with legs attached, to the top of the spine, to slide it down into place.
Lifting the pelvis, with legs attached, to the top of the spine, to slide it down into place.
The pieces of the puppet need to be assembled upright.
The pieces of the puppet need to be assembled upright.
The shoulders are visible at the level of the pelvis. They are slotted over the spine but not yet lifted to shoulder-level and fastened in place.
The shoulders are visible at the level of the pelvis. They are slotted over the spine but not yet lifted to shoulder-level and fastened in place.
Foam Factory ran out of gymnasium-floor rubber, so I had to buy neoprene to make the arms. It's more crumply. Trying to un-crumple it.
Foam Factory ran out of gymnasium-floor rubber, so I had to buy neoprene to make the arms. It's more crumply. Trying to un-crumple it.
I want to do something commemorative to bring Shinkafun into the world in some way. So I'm painting something like a Tibetan prayer flag for it to wear as a mask.
I want to do something commemorative to bring Shinkafun into the world in some way. So I'm painting something like a Tibetan prayer flag for it to wear as a mask.
The Japanese script is changed to an invented alphabet which <a href="https://www.omniglot.com/conscripts/kakemoji.htm">someone on a conlang website</a> invented to write Japanese as beautifully as possible.
The Japanese script is changed to an invented alphabet which someone on a conlang website invented to write Japanese as beautifully as possible.
I ended up not using this version of the head, because it couldn't provide support.
I ended up not using this version of the head, because it couldn't provide support.
The head is a planter for a potted plant.
The head is a planter for a potted plant.
The neck.
The neck.
The mask reads: "A towering traveler roams the lakeside, reaching out across time to participate in your theme camp like any other participant, except twice as tall."
The mask reads: "A towering traveler roams the lakeside, reaching out across time to participate in your theme camp like any other participant, except twice as tall."