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Henry Ryals
12-1-2015
FRINQ Work of Art
Benjamin Craig
Puppet and The Relationship Between Art & Artist

When we appreciate a work of art, we first observe the piece visually, aurally, tactilely
etc. Then, we analyze the piece to find meaning in it. Once weve found it, we usually stop and
move on; but in doing so, we miss out on a key experience - learning about the artist. A work of
art tells us much about its creator. The documentary Puppet exemplifies this.
Puppet follows the creation of the serious puppet show Disfarmer, by Dan Hurlin. It
begins with very the first rough ideas, moving on to research, rehearsal, and finally the
performance and reception of the show. Disfarmer is based on the life of American photographer,
Mike Disfarmer. Little is known about Mike Disfarmers personal life, as he was quite reclusive.
All we have to go off of is his work (including a self portrait), a few documents, and personal
accounts of residents who lived in the area at the time.
Dan Hurlin and Mike Disfarmer resemble each other in many ways, one of which being
that they are both outsiders. Mike Disfarmers original surname was Meyers, not Disfarmer. He
changed his last name in order to symbolize the fact that he didnt fit in with the farmers of
Heber Springs, Arkansas. He had been an outsider ever since he was a baby and was brought
there by a tornado - although that may have been something symbolic he also made up. His

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otherness is a strong theme throughout the puppet show. This is compared to Dans own life
growing up as the only openly gay man in a small town, and never fitting in because of it.
Furthermore, both Mike Disfarmer and Dan Hurlin are, in their own way, unrecognized
artists. Disfarmer received no fame or notoriety until a half century after his death, and still is not
as well known as photographers like Ansel Adams. Similarly, Hurlins chosen medium is serious
puppet theater, which is difficult because puppets have been relegated almost entirely to children
in mainstream western media. Compounded by well known critics (who have little expertise in
puppet theater) giving him poor reviews, Hurlin is also struggling to receive recognition.
While Dan Hurlin and Mike Disfarmer share a natural kinship, Hurlin doesnt stop there.
Because so little is known about Disfarmers personal life, Hurlin is able to take many artistic
liberties in his production. He projects many aspects of his own personality and life onto
Disfarmers character. One of the most obvious examples of this would be the fact that Hurlins
puppet of Mike Disfarmer is bald while the man in real-life had a full head of white, wispy hair.
Dan Hurlin, however, is bald.
Another example of this is the puppets drinking habit. Throughout the play, Disfarmers
character drinks beer from his fridge. After every tense moment or scene, hell crack one open.
By the end of the show, the room is littered with empty bottles. This is could well be something
purposefully put in by Hurlin to give us insight to his own life; as he is shown drinking beer with
his puppeteers throughout the documentary, especially during stressful times.
A third instance of Hurlin projecting himself into the story is Mike Disfarmers character
being tortured by his past. Its said that as a baby, he was swept up by a tornado and dropped on
the doorstep of his adoptive parents. In the play, Disfarmer was emotionally scarred by this

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incident and as a result, is terrified of any loud noise that could possibly be a tornado. However,
since the tornado story is only a myth, the difficulties the character experiences in dealing with
this event seem like a bit of a stretch, and were likely added in by Dan Hurlin. This seems
probable when we learn that Dan Hurlin is also tortured by his past. As a child, he developed a
fear of being alone which haunts him to this day. We also see that he suffers from a great deal of
anxiety due to the performance of his last show, Hiroshima Maiden. It was panned by a critic
from the New York Times and as a result, sold quite poorly.
Finally, in Disfarmer, Mike works until his dying breath, struggling to take one last self
portrait. Then the world spins in a tornado, he collapses to the floor, and dies alone. This is
symbolic of Dans dedication to his art. He will pursue it until the very end, and fears above all,
that he will die alone without the recognition and success he deserves.
The aforementioned examples of Dan Hurlins similarities to Mike Disfarmer, and of him
adding his own material into Disfarmers story show a strong correlation between the artist as a
person, and his work. When an artist creates a work of art, they pour themselves into it
emotionally. They attempt to make us feel what they are feeling, or to share their point of view. If
they are successful, then by definition we know something about that artist. In telling us the story
of Mike Disfarmer, Dan Hurlin also told us the story of himself - that of an artist who is
struggling to survive in a world that wont embrace him, haunted by his past, and driven to make
his art no matter what the cost.
At first the reviews for Disfarmer were not great, especially from the New York Times,
but soon after, other critics with more experience in this art form praised the show. While success
is limited in the field of puppet theater, Disfarmer fared much better than Hurlins previous

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effort, Hiroshima Maiden. It seems he and Mike Disfarmer, through the same exhibition, are
finally receiving some of the recognition theyre due..
In closing, I feel the documentary did an excellent job of presenting information. It
showed us these parallels in a way that was clear and concise without forcing them on us,
allowing us to ultimately draw our own conclusions. In fact, showing the similarity between this
artist and his art may have been an objective of the documentary. Puppet provides both an
educational look at the art of puppetry and an intimate view into the creation of a work of art.
Thanks to this documentary, the next time I appreciate a piece, I will consider what it tells me
about its artist.

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