Introduction

The continuing art adventures of Doofus and the Duck and their Company of players, as created by my wonderful wife Emma during the time of quarantine: the COVID-19 pandemic, now continuing into 2021. This is the fourteenth installment of works, the Company remaining at the height of their creative endeavors.

Without further ado, back to the Doofus and the Duck…

July 2021 (cont.)

Doofus and the Duck present, in the understanding that as one of the few Arts Companies allowed to operated during Sydney’s strict COVID-19 lockdown they have a moral obligation to bring sunshine and happiness to the world, their tableau of one of the Dutch post-Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh’s most celebrated works, entitled “Sunflowers (1888),” starring the Company as The Flowers

The Company at their exquisite best! Superbe!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of International Chess Day, their tableau of a theatrical release poster for a film considered by many as one of the greatest ever made, directed by the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, entitled “The Seventh Seal (“Det sjunde inseglet”) (1957),” starring The ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the Noble Knight Max von Sydow, and featuring The Little Blue Men as Death’s Happy Dancers

An excellent recreation, indeed re-imagining, of a Swedish promotional poster for this great movie, made even more appealing when we realise it is done live, without the benefit of photo-montage. Also outstanding work from all the actors, especially the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot who seems happier playing a knight gambling with Death than a sunflower. Hardly surprising, is it? Overall outstanding!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honor of the delayed opening of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo and as part of their on-going series of famous illustrations, their tableau of the cover art of the twelfth book in the series of French graphic novels, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, entitled “Asterix at the Olympic Games (1968),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as The Mighty Gaulish Warrior Asterix, and featuring Shaun the Sheep as the Indomitable Gaul and Menhir Delivery Man Obelix, and the Purple Hippo as the Epic Roman Athlete Gluteus Maximus

A frothy and colourful interpretation of the original, well-suited to our troubled times. Fine, if trivial work (much like these games).

Doofus and the Duck present, in honor of the on-going Olympiad and in commemoration of the 1715th anniversary of Constantine I being proclaimed emperor by his troops, their tableau of an Athenian black-figure frieze, taken from a small (60cm) amphora, painted by the famed artist Exekias, entitled “Achilles and Ajax Engaged in a Game of Dice (c.540-530 BCE),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as The Mightiest of All the Achaean Heroes Achilles, and featuring Shaun the Sheep as The Outstanding Warrior Ajax the Great

An outstanding tableau that pushes the boundaries of what we thought technically possible for the Company. The illusion of flatness–we know the Company creates in the round, and the shadows tell us this is so–is complete in the tour-de-force; the colour palette is sublime; and the acting first-rate (as we have come to expect from these two); making this one of the finest of all their works. Absolutely superb!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the on-going XXXII Olympiad and as part of their series of iconic movie posters, their tableau of a theatrical release poster for David Puttnam and Hugh Hudsons’ historical drama concerning the fortunes of a pair of British athletes competing at the VIII Olympiad in Paris (1924), entitled “Chariots of Fire (1981),” starring the Little Blue Men as Right and Proper Running Lads

Err.. an LBM group-portrait by the sea? Makes as much sense as holding an Olympics during a global pandemic, I suppose.

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the on-going Olympiad and International Day of Friendship (“We all need more friends!”), their tableau of one of French modernist master Édouard Manet’s most shocking, scandalous, and controversial works, entitled “Olympia (1863),” featuring Shaun the Sheep as the Servant Laure

In revisiting this Manet masterpiece the Company have done us a great service, bringing to life the artist’s original vivid pallet and allowing us to reflect on the graceful lines of the composition. Marvelous!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the on-going Olympiad and in commemoration of the 1240th anniversary of the first recorded eruption of Mount Fuji, their tableaux of an illustration, made by the poet, English scholar, and novelist, J.R.R. Tolkien and taken from his book, “The Hobbit,” entitled “Conversation with Smaug (1937),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as The Mighty Dragon Smaug the Magnificent, and featuring A Little Blue Man as Bilbo Baggins, Esq.

Quite extraordinarily beautiful! Bravo!

August 2021

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the on-going Olympiad and as part of their on-going series of World Art, their tableau of a woodblock print by the famed Japanese master of the Ukiyo-e (“Floating World”) style Kikukawa Eizan, a bijin-ga (“Beautiful woman”) print, entitled “Beauty and Children in Winter (1810),” featuring The Purple Hippo as The Kid, and The Little Sheep as The Other Kid

An outstanding re-enactment of the original, capturing much of its beauty, grace, and charm. The Purple Hippo, in particular, is worthy of commendation for playing the older child with such alacrity and humour. Wonderful!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the on-going Olympiad and in memory of the first Australian Rules Football match (played in Melbourne in 1858), their tableau of a late painting by French self-taught post-impressionist master Henri Julien Félix Rousseau, entitled “The Football Players (1908),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the fleet-footed Marion de Champs-Vert, and featuring Shaun the Sheep as A Desperate Player

Another absolute delight from the Company who manage to capture the essence of Rousseau’s delight in painting this abridged version of a rugby match. The actor are excellent, the setting sumptuous, and the design spot-on. Bravo!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the closing of the XXXII Olympiad and as a suggestion to the International Olympic Committee for a “new” sport, their tableau of a page taken from a manuscript codex depicting a joust between the minnesinger and another knight as depicted by an unknown artist simply known as The Master of the Codex Manesse, entitled “Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift 52r (c.1304),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the Victorious Poet and Knight Walter von Klingen, and featuring Shaun the Sheep as A Loser Knight, the Black Horse and Boxer the Stuffed Clydesdale as Horses of War, and various Company members as A Bevvy of Beautiful Maidens

A wonderful production of a glorious manuscript illustration: the knights, the horses, the action, the colour, all superb! Another superb moment of joy from the Company!

Doofus and the Duck, as part of their on-going series of famous book illustrations, their tableau of a plate taken from the book “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by English writer and illustrator Helen Beatrix Potter, entitled “First, he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then, he ate some radishes (1902),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Peter Rabbit

A lovely effort from the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Beatrix Potter’s antagonist though, if one were to be somewhat pedantic then one might comment on the rather odd selection of vegetables the actor is planning to eat, however, who are we to judge another’s food choices? Excellent!

Doofus and the Duck present, as part of their on-going series of solo works and in honour of the 111th anniversary of the death of the Italian-English social reformer and medical pioneer Florence Nightingale, their tableau of a work by French portrait painter Marie-Denise Villers, long attributed to Jacques Louis David, of a fellow art student, entitled “Portrait of Charlotte du Val d’Ognes (1801),” featuring the Little Blue Men as Lovers in the Distance

Simple, elegant, and very beautiful with Doofus showing us, yet again, just how excellent a character actor can be, and the lighting and set design are stunning. Outstanding work!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the new lockdown restrictions imposed on the land of New South Wales (wherein the Company resides) and as part of their on-going series of great illustrations, their tableau of one of the three Meisterstiche (“master prints”) by the great German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, entitled “Melencolia I (1514),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the Personification of Melancholy (or Geometry), and featuring Shaun the Sheep as A Dog, the Purple Hippo as A Happy Putto, and the Little Sheep as A Bat-thing

Apropos (and who, having been forced to read Euclid, does not equate geometry with melancholy?). Another delightful jumble from the Company that well reflects Dürer’s original and speaks well to our present. Fine work indeed!

Doofus and the Duck present, as part of their on-going series of solo works and in commemoration of the 76th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell’s satirical allegory “Animal Farm,” their tableau of a work by famed British sculptor Henry Spencer Moore, entitled “Helmet Head No. 2 (c.1950),” featuring the Purple Hippo as Mr Helmet Head

Well, that is something you just don’t see every day…

Doofus and the Duck present, in honour of the birth of a key supporter and in commemoration of the Christian Feast of the Transfiguration, their tableau of a work by Italian High Renaissance master Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, commission by Pope Julius II for the church of San Sisto, Piacenza, entitled “Madonna di San Sisto (c.1513-1514),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the Famous Saint and Holy Martyr Barbara, and featuring The Little Green Giraffe as Baby Jesus, and introducing the Purple Hippo and the Little Sheep as A Pair of Cute Putzes

A vibrant and wonderful version of Raphael’s masterpiece. Excellent work from the Company players (even the putto are superb!) and exquisite set design show, once more, the strength of the Company when it comes to portraying this kind of figurative material. Fantastic!

Doofus and the Duck present, in commiseration of the COVID-19 inspired health lockdown for NSW being extended until (at least) the end of September 2021, their tableau of a photograph, by Australian photographer James Francis “Frank” Hurley, taken during the British 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, of the final moments of their ship, entitled “Endurance’s Final Sinking (Nov 1915),” featuring a Little Blue Man as The Skipper, Sir Ernest Shackleton

Outstanding and poignant. Very well done!

Doofus and the Duck present, as part of their on-going series of solo works and in commemoration of the 536th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field, a self-portrait by the Spanish-Mexican surrealist artist Remedios Varo Uranga, entitled “Self-Portrait with a Unicorn (date unknown),” featuring the White Tiger as The Unicorn

What a delightfully playful (and slinky) interpretation of this enigmatic work. One suspects Varo would have been secretly delighted at having her mythic beast being portrayed by a tiger: the overtones and connotations are exquisitely delicious if one references the Cluny “Lady” tapestries. A delight!

Doofus and the Duck present, as part of their on-going solo works series and in commemoration of the US evacuation from Kabul after their 20 year incursion into Afghanistan, their tableau of a work by 19th century British military painter Elizabeth Southerden Thompson, Lady Butler depicting the retreat of the English Army under Major General Sir William Elphinstone from Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War, entitled “The remnants of an army, Jellalabad, January 13, 1842 (1879),” starring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as The Badly Wounded Assistant Surgeon of Shah Shuja’s Contingent, Dr William Brydon; and featuring Boxer the Stuffed Clydesdale as His Buggered Pony

A wonderfully evocative work, very well played by the leads. A resonant piece!