Based on Pieter Coecke van Aelst's designs for the Vertumnus and Pomona tapestries, now on display in Grand Design, this shadow puppet depicts ancient Roman goddess Pomona, standing in the moonlight.
This Sunday, December 21, at 1:15 and 3:00 p.m., artist Caroline Borderies, in partnership with the Museum's Education Department, will perform an original, family-friendly shadow-puppet show inspired by Pieter Coecke van Aelst's Vertumnus and Pomona tapestries, now on display in Grand Design: Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Renaissance Tapestry. I recently spoke with Caroline about her art and the premiere of her newest show.
Sarah Mallory: How did you become interested in shadow puppetry as an art form?
Caroline Borderies: I created my first shadow-puppet show twelve years ago for a children's Sunday school class I was teaching. The show was entitled The Creation and was set to Mahler's Symphony No. 5. Quite ambitious for four-year-olds! The reaction of the kids was immediate; they were absolutely captivated by the combination of the shadows on the screen and the music. My friend (and Metropolitan Museum textile conservator) Cristina Carr, who helped me for this very first performance, encouraged me to continue using the medium of shadow puppetry to tell stories. Puppetry is indisputably a wonderful art form for telling stories, especially to children. By depicting only the silhouette of a figure—by only suggesting a character's appearance—the shadow puppet encourages the imagination to work, therefore making the spectator more of a participant in creating the story.
Sarah Mallory: How do you make the puppets?
Caroline Borderies: The magical aspect of shadow puppetry is enhanced by the simplicity of the material used to produce a show: with a spotlight, black-paper cut-out silhouettes, and color lighting gels, you can create a whole universe within a glowing rectangular screen. I sometimes reference some of Georges Méliès's techniques and incorporate old images on glass projected with a magic lantern. Indonesian and Chinese shadow puppets, for example, are made of animal hide (donkey, oxen, pigs, lamb, or buffalo). The skin used is stretched until it is almost translucent, and then paint is applied to cast colorful shadows. I use black poster boards instead, and sometimes add lighting gels to give a touch of color. I use thin bamboo or wooden rods to manipulate the silhouettes.
Left: A nineteenth-century Chinese shadow puppet made from donkey skin. Shadow player, 19th century, China. Donkey skin, cord; H. (approx.) 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of H. J. Tei, 1920 (20.31.9)
Sarah Mallory: Where do you find inspiration for your shows?
Caroline Borderies: People often ask me what my influences are. Although the works of Kara Walker and William Kentridge have definitely had a huge impact on me, my influences mostly stem from my European background. When someone asks me about my influences, I immediately think of the nineteenth century: Henri Rivière's shadow plays at the Theatre du Chat Noir or the work of Lotte Reiniger (a German artist from the 1930s), who created fabulous animated movies with the delicate silhouettes she meticulously cut out. The use of music is also an essential element in my creative process. Music has an undeniable narrative power. What is not rendered by shadow puppets is augmented by text and music.
An example of shadows in William Kentridge's work. William Kentridge (South African, born Johannesburg, 1955). Leviathan (Arc Shadow Procession), 2000. Chine collé of black Canson paper on printed text from Leviathan; 19 5/8 x 25 5/8 in. (49.8 x 65.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Mary Martin Fund, 2001 (2001.529)
Sarah Mallory: And the stories you depict—where do those come from?
Caroline Borderies: Beside traditional fairy tales or musical tales like Peter and the Wolf, I have created shows for museums directly linked to specific exhibitions. These shows are performed for family audiences, introducing the exhibition to the youngest visitors and giving them keys to approach the art. Thus a theme directly linked to the exhibition is always the starting point for a puppet show. If a story does not exist, I have to write one. Of course, my first source of inspiration comes from the art displayed in the exhibition. One specific piece of art can be the starting point of a story.
Sarah Mallory: Tell us about the shadow-puppet show you've developed for the Grand Design exhibition.
Caroline Borderies: From the beginning, I worked with the exhibition's chief curator, Elizabeth Cleland, to define the elements we wanted the young audience to focus on. It seemed important to introduce Renaissance artist Pieter Coecke van Aelst and explain how a tapestry is made. Among the sumptuous tapestries presented in the exhibition, we chose to focus on the Story of Vertumnus and Pomona [series, which presents] an appealing tale for children where disguise and costume play a big part in a splendid garden setting. (Author's Note: Vertumnus [Roman god of the seasons], in pursuit of the disinterested Pomona [goddess of fruit trees and gardens], disguises himself in a variety of costumes. Ultimately, Vertumnus wins Pomona's heart.)
These tapestries are almost like a theater stage with the borders acting as a proscenium. Retelling the story with shadow puppets will give children the keys to search the tapestries, notice their details, and hopefully appreciate the splendor of the art. For the design of the puppets, I collaborated with Christian Barthod, a designer trained as an art historian. The show is accompanied by wonderful sixteenth-century music, some of it played on period instruments by the Sonnambula ensemble.
Shadow puppet of Pieter Coecke van Aelst in his workshop
Sarah Mallory: What is your favorite aspect of creating shadow-puppet shows?
Caroline Borderies: I am aware that I have a responsibility to be factually correct when I produce a show based on some art pieces. I feel the need to acquire some background information, but at the same time, as an artist, not an art historian, I have the luxury to retell and reinterpret. The preliminary part of the creative process is definitely the most interesting. I read, research, look at a lot of art, and infuse myself with music! I created several shows for the Bard Graduate Center, and each time I had the opportunity to explore a new subject. The research part was definitely interesting! Among the shows I have created, The Milliner's Daughter is probably my favorite one. I created this show for a hat exhibition, curated by Stephen Jones, featuring pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Set in Paris and featuring music by Francis Poulenc, I incorporated many colors with my own collection of imagined, extravagant hats ornamented with birds and feathers.
Event Information
Family Performance—Weave a Tale
Sunday, December 21, 1:15–1:45 p.m. and 3:00–3:30 p.m.
Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, Uris Center for Education (Show location on map)
Free with Museum admission; admission is free for children under 12 with an adult
Join a shadow puppet artist for a performance that animates characters and stories from the exhibition Grand Design: Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Renaissance Tapestry. Take part in a family tour or art activity before or after the performance.