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 of 2019/2020. This is the fourth installment of works, the Company at the height of their abilities.

Without further ado, I’ll give you over to the Doofus and the Duck…

Winter 2020

Doofus and the Duck present, in honor of the day (Fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste), the epic painting by Benjamin West entitled, “The Death of General Wolfe (1770),” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the hero and martyr, General James Wolfe (“Je me souviens”)

With this wonderful tableau, the Company have entered the murky world of Canadian politics in a suitably unique manner. They have depicted West’s famous painting in their realistic manner (with an exception effort from the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as General Wolfe dying on the Field of Abraham before the walls of (modern) Quebec City) but to release this on the “national day” of Quebec; that is, to say the least, provocative! And yet, to add the Quebec official motto to the title undercuts the obvious Anglophilic nature of the work. Exceptional!

Doofus and the Duck present another tableau in their series of Famous Illustrations, this time Thomas Morten’s engraving for Jonathon Swift’s epic satire, “Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World,” specifically the scene when the narrator is captured by the Lilliputians, entitled “I Lay All This While In Great Uneasiness,” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Lemuel Gulliver, A Naval Surgeon in an Unaccustomed Situation.

Another stunning technical and artistic achievement by the Company to replicate this well-known work by Morten. The use of the smaller members of the team, particularly the Little Blue Men, is genius, as is the stand-ins of the principals. While comical in effect, it is subtle in detail and provides a layer of post-modern irony to the original 18th C satire. A very fine work indeed!

Doofus and the Duck present a tableau of Jacques-Louis David’s epic Neo-Classical masterpiece, “Oath of the Horatii (original: Le Serment des Horaces),” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Publius Horatius the Younger, a Loyal Roman and a Loyal Son

A masterful interpretation of one of David’s most famous canvases. Whilst it doesn’t quite capture the grandeur of the original (it is a massive painting), it full succeeds in portraying the gravity and pathos of the moment: the subdued and tearful nature of the mother; the masterful intensity the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot brings to its role; and the stoic nature of Doofus; all these elements combine to form a very fine tableau.

Doofus and the Duck present a tableau based on a scene from the Ancient Egyptian papyrus manuscript known as “The Book of the Dead,” where the Heart of the Pharaoh is Weighed Against a Feather, featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as the Jackal-Headed God, Anubis, and the Purple Hippo as the Devouring God, Ammit

A stunning interpretation of a mystical work, featuring the first appearance of the Little Blue Men, and outstanding work from the principals, as well as the Artistic Director, and the costuming team. A novel and well-appreciated work, it is somewhat remenicent of their Bayeaux Tapestry success, if only in it’s tiered approach. Impeccable work!

Doofus and the Duck present another tableau in their series of Famous Illustrations, from the pen of illustrator Pauline Baynes, her interpretation of Lucy and Mr Tumnus from C. S. Lewis’s much loved, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Mr Tumnus, A Rather Cold Faun, and the Purple Hippo as Lucy

A delicate and beautiful work, filled with drama, from two of the Company’s shining stars. The work of the Props Dept, inparticular the backdrop, deserves our attention, as does the marvelous work from the Lighting Dept. Wonderfully evocative!

Doofus and the Duck present, in honor of the National Day for America’s Hat, their rendition of Bill Reid’s magnificent sculpture, “The Spirit of Haida Gwaii,” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Grizzly Bear and the Purple Hippo as The Ancient Reluctant Conscript

The Company’s tableau of Bill Reid’s much loved sculpture is both faithful to the original, and brings its own humor to the characters. In particular Doofus is excellent as the sorcerer/shaman, magnificent in his green cloak and hat, and the Purple Hippo, well, words almost fail, but the use of that particular “hat” is a thing of comic genius! Bravo!

Doofus and the Duck present another in their occasional series of illustrations, this time their tableau of the jacket cover from the much-loved work by French author and artist, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “The Little Prince (1943)”

As befitting the work, a sweet and delicate interpretation of Saint-Exupéry’s water color, wonderfully evocative, and excellently played by Doofus in this solo work. A true professional and it is wonderful to see Doofus step up once more.

Doofus and the Duck present their tableau, part of their occasional series of illustrations, of a painting which is a more detailed rendition of one of the designs made by the great French illustrator Gustave Doré for the fairy tales of Charles Perrault, entitled “Little Red Riding Hood (c.1862),” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as The Hungry Big Bad Wolf

Here the Company has chosen a lesser-known, yet magnificent, work by the French Romantic artist Doré. Dark and complex in that original Brothers Grimm-style, the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot manages to convince us of its menace, while the Duck plays a perfect foil as the soon-to-be-eaten ingenue in this wonderfully realized tableau.

Doofus and the Duck present, in honor of the day, their tableau of Archibald Willard’s epic painting “The Spirit of ‘76 (a.k.a. Yankee Doodle)(1875),” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as A Wounded Patriot Helping to Make His Country Great with a Fife

This touching rendition of Willard’s patriotic “cheese” is a suitable and appropriate work for this July 4, Independence Day, 2020, with the US of A plunged into a self-inflicted existential crisis not seen for a generation. This tableau by the Company reminds us how, regardless of our origins, we can all pull together to make the world a better place. Well done!

Doofus and the Duck present, from that most famous book, “Très Riches Heures,” created for Jean, Duc de Berry, by the Brothers Limbourg from Nijmegen, a tableau based on “Avril,” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as Lady Margot Beaudelaire, A Rich Heiress from Puy, and Lady in Waiting to Joan, Duchess of Berry

Another epic reproduction of a wonderful piece of medieval humanism. The Company has managed to build a credible early 15th Century world in our present day, bringing to life the Limbourg Brothers exquisite work. There may be some issue with the Zodiac in this tableau but we shall surely say this is the whimsy of the Company once more coming to the for.

Doofus and the Duck present, in recognition of recent events in the United States of America-land, and in keeping with the holiday spirit of fun and merriment, their tableau entitled “POTUS Impotentia,” featuring The Dinosaur as The Spirit of America Present

The Company has, perhaps, stepped over a political line in this work. Still, it is a very fine technical achievement and it is interesting to see The Dinosaur taking a leading role. Perhaps it is due to the holiday?

Doofus and the Duck present another tableau in their occasional series of book covers, in this case British artist Cliff Wright’s watercolor for J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as A Fierce and Loyal Hippogriff

A remarkable and magical piece from the Company that perfectly captures the spirit of the original illustration. The three main characters–Doofus as HP, the Purple Hippo as HG, and the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as BB–are wonderful. The Purple Hippo, in particular, captures the terror that must have been very close to the surface of the young witch. Beautifully staged and set, this is excellent work by the Company.

Doofus and the Duck present their tableau of Jacques-Louis David’s monumental work, “The Crowning of Napoleon (1805-08),” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as His Holiness Pope Pius VII, and the Purple Hippo as Napoleon’s Mother

Another stupendous David painting, another wonderful interpretation by the Company, who have become known for their tableau of the French Master. The only question is, having done the “big ones,” where does the Company go now? We look forward to the answer!

Doofus and the Duck present their tableau of a detail from the ceiling of the early Italian Renaissance master, Andrea Mantegna’s, epic painting of the Camera degli Sposi in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua, simply known as “The Oculus (1465-74),” featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as A Climbing Putti

The Company returns to fine comic form with this rather elaborate work from Mantegna which, while brilliant in its own right, perhaps doesn’t utilize the talents of the cast in a manner we’ve become accustomed to see. In particular, the contribution of the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot leaves rather too little to the imagination and, perhaps, this particular role might have been better served by one of the less well-endowed members of the Company. Certainly it is good to see the Little Blue Men filling their assigned tasks with verve and elan.

Doofus and the Duck present their tableau, taken from the right-hand panel of the Early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch’s masterful triptych, “The Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1510),” detail from the scene of Hell, featuring the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot as The Egg Man

A stupendously chaotic work from the Company totally in keeping with the Bosch original, and perfectly in-tune with the modern zeitgeist. There were those who said it couldn’t be done, however, once again, the Company has proven up to the challenge of “doing the impossible.” A special commendation must go out the work of Doofus, who has clearly turned in effort going above-and-beyond, and the brilliant addition The Little Blue Men have made to some of these more complex works. A sterling effort!