Megan Marlatt

ooking like large puppet heads, it was "anima", the root of "animation", that led me to the making of the big heads, (or "capgrossos" as they are called in Catalonia where I learned the craft.) Anima is the soul or what breathes life into a being and to animate an inanimate object, an artist must insert a little soul into it. However to bring attention to what is invisible, (the soul), I chose to mold its opposite in solid form: the persona, the ego, the big head, the mask. Nearly every culture across the globe has masks. They allow performers to climb into the skin of another being and witness the other's world from behind their eyes. While doing so, the mask erases all clues of the performer's age, gender, species or race. In this regard, I find them to be the most transformative and empathic of all human artifacts.
1. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—'The Critics at Large'

2016, Cast papier-mache
On exhibition at Manifesta II, Zurich, "The Historical Exhibition, Sites Under Construction"
2. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—"The Critics at Large: Roberta Smith writing notes at a Chelsea art gallery"
2014, Cast papier-mache
Art in Odd Places—FREE, New York, NY, Oct 2015
(Photo by Karen Bell)
3. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—3 Megans in One Dress
2016, papier-mache
Art in Odd Places—RACE, 2016, New York City
(photo by Karen Bell)
4. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—"The Artist, The Devil and The Heavenly Host of Angels"
2015 Performed at TRIBES, Prague Quadrennial, 2015
Photo credit: Marek Volf
5. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—The Queen and Her Corgis
2015, papier-mache
The Tribes Exhibition, Prague Quadrennial—2015
Prague, Czech Republic
Queen by Megan Marlatt
Corgis by Jenny Campbell and Megan Marlatt
photo credit: Richard Knox Robinson
6. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—The Hare, the Hair
2016, papier-mache
Art in Odd Places—RACE, 2016, New York City
photo credit: Karen Bell
7. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—"The Critics at Large, Hans": Curator Christian Jankowski tries on Hans Ulrich Obrist's big head
Manifesta II, Zurich, Switzerland. The Historical Exhibition; Sites Under Construction, Manifesta 11
Photo credit: Richard Knox Robinson
2016
8. Megan Marlatt and The Big Head Brigade—"The Artist and The Devil in Lounge Chairs"
2013, Cast papier-mache
at Socrates Park, SkowheganPERFORMS, Long Island City, NY, Sept 2013
(photo by Karen Bell)
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