The Art of Chuck Miley

2010 - Shockhead Revisted

So deliciously evil, yet wonderfully educational, the Shockhead Peter stories are perfect for three dimensional story telling.

Several years ago, Deb Mell and I collaborated on an accordion style Shockhead piece using resin, found objects and lead came.   I have always been so intrigued by Deb's work and when the opportunity presented itself to work with her, I jumped at the chance!  We each separately sketched a series of the individual stories and then came together on a selection to use for the story panels. Each panel represents one of the tales.

More recently, I revisited my own sketches and parlayed them into a pop up book.  The pop up style allowed me to play up the three dimensional aspect that lends itself so well to the stories told.  Using card stock, ink jet printing and other mixed media I could add more layers to the work. The printed word, vibrant coloration of the characters and the addition of other "touchable" media -- both figuratively and literally -- makes these stories spring from the page.  I'm very excited about this work and its inclusion in the Princeton Art Council's exhibition:

Artists' Books from 1970 to Now

The exhibition ran from October 7, 2010 through November 24, 2010 and shows both my new pop up and the collaborative version I did with Deb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration with Deb Mell

The panels are comprised of the sketch, found objects and several layers of resin.  Each is framed with lead came.  They are then hinged together with wire.

Origins of the story

Shockhead Peter or Der Struwwelpeter (1845) is a popular German children's book by Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children.

Each has a clear moral that demonstrates the disastrous consequences of misbehavior in an exaggerated way. The title of the first story provides the title of the whole book. Literally translated, Struwwel-Peter means Shaggy-Peter.