Images(6)

Hand puppet of Blueback head

Date2022

Object number00056402

NamePuppet

MediumSilicone, wood, metal, foam, plexiglass, glass

DimensionsOverall: 450 × 315 × 500 mm, 4270 g

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Robert Connolly

Collections

Terms

Plastic and rubber

DescriptionHand-held puppet used by puppeteer in close up shots during production of the film Blueback (2022) for example, when young Abby pets fish/puppet.SignificanceMarine conservation filmmaking in Australia has been primarily limited to factual programming, which, although very successful, may not have the reach of dramatic production in ‘changing hearts and minds’ of Australian audiences towards a sustainable future for our oceans. Acquisition of materials associated with Blueback provide an opportunity for the museum to utilise these objects in exhibition and online to showcase the power of filmmaking to connect audiences to the underwater world.
This collection includes a world’s first puppet and associated prototyping materials created for use underwater, and to showcase the technologies used to ensure that the puppet was ‘lifelike’ in a marine environment, and acquire materials associated with the production of the puppet and feature film Blueback, as a record of marine conservation-related filmmaking in Australia.