Inspiration
This puppet is a modern interpretation of the ‘Green Man’, who was classically a symbol of rebirth, nature, and seasonal celebration as a figurehead of the forest. He originated in medieval English folklore, though this creature is an embodiment of all cultures as nature is something that can be globally celebrated.
Whilst not having the physical attributes of a man or specific animal, this figure represents humanity and our youth, music, traditions and the interaction with our natural world. They were created to build bridges between humans and the environment, and are symbolic of hope at a time during climate disasters faced globally to encourage the next generation to take the climate crisis into their own hands, highlighting the of the importance of nature on our lives.
The process
The duration of building the creature spanned over seven weeks, with leading artist Amy Peck supporting weekly workshops with a group of six young people to contribute. Read Blog Post 3 to find out more about the techniques and materials we used.
The art work
True to the folk tradition, the creature has been made green out of digitally printed fabric - with the young people’s work arranged in a collage, including fragments of linocuts and cyanotypes made over the weeks, with a structure sculpted out of willow. The creature is a body of healing with no attributed gender or species, to convey the universal importance of ‘The Green Man’.
