Paul Klee: Hand Puppets

Catalogue raisonne of Paul Klee’s hand puppets, showing the complete ensemble of Klee’s puppet theater in text and images. Published in 2006 by Hate Cantz. Lavishly illustrated in color (including many full-page photographs) and black-and white, with statements by contemporary witnesses accompanied by contextualizing introductory essays. 4to, 152 pages, hardcover with photographic dust jacket. Per the book, “the story of Paul Klee’s hand puppets began with his son Felix’s wish to own Kasperl (Punch and Judy) figures…From 1916 to 1925, a total of fifty figures were created, of which thirty still exist today. In creating the puppets, Klee used a large variety of materials from around his home: beef bones and electrical sockets, bristle brushes and nut shells. He sewed the garments together from left-over fabric and discarded clothes. At the beginning, Klee based the puppets on the popular Kasperl theater; later he invented his own fantastical characters. Some of them contain allusions to Klee’s artist colleagues at the Bauhaus…some are reflections upon topics related to politics or society…In designing his puppets, Klee played with the styles of his time. Thus, the White-haired Eskimo reminds us of Dada collages, and the Bid-Eared Clown has assimilated various design features from Bauhaus circles. Minimal bumping to extremities and dj, otherwise NF.