43°F
weather icon Mostly Cloudy

Dutchman creates art in the Nevada desert

An odd group of figures has appeared on the grounds of Goldwell Open Air Museum at Rhyolite. Life-size puppets, they are the work of Dutch artist Onny Huisink.

The puppets, moved not by strings but by the wind, were originally characters in a play in Amsterdam presented by Speeltheater Holland. Made of coarse fabric stuffed with sheep’s wool, they are intended to suffer the ravages of the weather as part of Huisink’s project, “The Beauty of Decay.”

The artist says the crudeness of the puppets is intentional. “They are rough like the people in the village in the play.”

“Starmaker” was the title of the play, and it was about a con man who convinced the people of a village, including a mafioso, that he was making a movie in which they would star.

One of the puppets is sitting on a bench, and the others are around it. Visitors are encouraged to take selfies with them and to email the photos to the artist. This will enable him to monitor their condition.

When the puppets have reached a certain state of decay, Huisink plans to return to recover them and place them in an exhibit along with others he has installed in various locations around the world. A selection of visitor selfies will also become part of the exhibit.

Huisink, who was knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in 2013 for his contributions to the arts, has had a varied career as a puppeteer, actor, director, and artist. During his days in the theater, he frequently worked in the United States, including at Robert Redford’s Sundance.

The artist and his carpenter, Koen Broersen, enjoyed their brief sojourn to the Nevada desert. Huisink was particularly impressed by the open spaces and the quiet. “Holland is so crowded. Everywhere there is noise. Everywhere are people.”

“I have seen a lot of the world in my work. This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve worked. Really amazing.”

The Dutchmen stayed in Beatty while working on the project, frequently visiting with locals in the Happy Burro Chili and Beer or KC’s Outpost.

“They think I am crazy, but you can be crazy in Beatty. There are a lot of crazy people, and very open, very welcoming. The social feeling in a good way is very strong. You can be crazy, and they accept you.”

Huisink said he was saddened by the impression that there were a lot of poor people in Beatty. “In Holland, there are not so many rich people and poor people. Everyone can study. Everyone can go to the hospital.”

The artist speaks of his puppets almost as if they were real people, actors in a play. “I once was the director,” he says, “but now they are directed by the elements. The puppets need movement; then they can come alive. When it is rough weather, they get nervous and want to run away.”

“Because they are rough, some people will think they are rubbish. But sometimes they think the same thing about people.”

Of this project, Huisink says it is a return to the spirit of play he had as a child. “When you keep the freedom of play you had as a child, then you can be happy all of your life.”

Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Dishwasher saves choking diner at Pahrump Senior Center

Adrienne Fors says she was eating pork and rice when she literally bit off more than she could chew. “When I tried to swallow, it went down my throat and then then it got caught with the curve of my throat. Thank goodness Troy was there to do the Heimlich on me.”

Ruling: Former Nye County commissioner benefited from his vote to increase pandemic-relief funds

The Nevada State Ethics Commissions found earlier this week that former Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo had failed to disclose his financial interests ahead of a vote to increase pandemic-relief funds to local small business owners. He benefited about $35,000 from the deal, according to the finding of a state ethics panel.

Celebrate life at this popular butterfly release

The event is sponsored by Nathan Adelson Hospice and comforts those who are grieving the loss of a loved ones.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Basin and Blagg intersection closure starts Monday

The construction currently underway on Basin Avenue has been focused on the intersection at Blagg Road for the last few weeks and Nye County Public Works will soon have that intersection back to full use but first, the department will need to close it to regular traffic, a fact which area motorists will want to take note.

SNEAK PEEK: Go inside ‘The Bagel Lady’s’ new Pahrump shop – PHOTOS

Shelly Fisher AKA “The Bagel Lady” is opening Shelly’s NY Bagels on March 25. Fisher has customized the corner suite at 1190 E. Highway 372 and will serve breakfast and lunch there. She tells the Pahrump Valley Times how the local community has helped grow her operation and gave our Faye Burdzinski and John Clausen an inside look at her new operation.

Pahrump fugitive arrested after months on the run

Anthony Bell evaded a SWAT-team standoff earlier this month. Footage shows the suspect brandished a rifle outside Pahrump casino following a fight in December.

LOVE FADING: See what’s become of the notorious Love Ranch brothel – PHOTOS

A year after the Love Ranch sold as part of a $1.3-million acquisition of 23 properties that included this Nye County brothel where NBA star Lamar Odom was famously found passed out from an apparent drug overdose, there’s been little effort to reopen or restore the iconic site. Photojournalist John Clausen went inside to “show us the Love.”

Pahrump’s Heidi Fleiss recalls ups and downs with actor Tom Sizemore

Actor Tom Sizemore died on March 3, after suffering a stroke weeks earlier. He starred in Natural Born Killers, Saving Private Ryan and other blockbuster films. Sizemore served 8 months for abusing the former ‘Hollywood Madam.’ Fleiss reflects on their time together.