THE RAYMAKER is a puppet theatre and a cabinet. It was prototyped quite quickly, because I wanted to see what kind of play this TV look-a-like would inspire. It is currently exhibited at Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg (06/01 - 08/29 2010) - where I have stuffed it with toys so that everyone can come and play!
The Raymaker can be opened from the back and in a simple way used as a puppet theatre. Puppetry is an ancient form of play and theatre, thought to have originated about 30,000 years ago. It can be described as the animation of inanimate performing objects. The performances can be played in various contexts: - For example the Vietnamese water puppetry is performed in a waist high pool. But in most people's minds, puppet theatre is associated with the traditional puppet theatre stages – miniature versions of romantic old theatre stages.
As the stage is the medium, it itself sends a message. To inspire other tales then the ones about kings and princesses, there should be a broader range of stages. At the moment it seems like there's not so much experimentation with this genre within toy design - for example making the puppet theatre more up-to-date and versatile. With the TV I'm hoping that kids get inspired to host their own shows, create cartoons - get inspired in other directions.
Children's rooms are often packed with toys and clothes, and need a lot of storage. While creating a furniture for play, it should be useful and not just taking up space during the time it isn't played with. Since a puppet stage is meant for displaying, it seems it has a built-in potential to work as some sort of cabinet. My idea is that the Raymaker could be used as a cabinet, showing off the toy collection, when it is not played with.
