Crafting Essence: A Puppet-Maker's Challenge: Jesse Mooney- Bullock at TEDxCincy

Jesse Mooney-Bullock makes puppets. But not the kind that you might first think of when you hear that word. They are not usually very soft or bright. They definitely do not have googly eyes. They are figures carved out of wood, complete with joints that operate via levers and triggers. He is fascinated by the way living things move and how they are "built", and he strives to emulate natural form and function in his artwork. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he collaborated with fellow students to create puppet-infused art that they performed around the Windy City. Then his schooling extended into the studio of puppeteer Blair Thomas, who taught him much about building puppets and their stages. While still in Chicago, Jesse created near life-sized wooden puppets for a Redmoon Theater production which earned him a Jeff Award. He continues to design and build for these two companies from his home-studio in Northside. He has been a recipient of the City of Cincinnati Artist Grant and every now and then gets to perform his own work here in town. In addition to being an artist, Jesse is a full-time father. He and his wife have two young boys, and Dad stays home. For Mooney-Bullock and Sons, building and art-making are everyday activities, and each puppet that comes out of the workshop undergoes complete testing by the junior members of the family. -- In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)