Scenic Art for the Theatre PDF
Preview Scenic Art for the Theatre
CHAPTER 1 T H E P R O F E S S I O N A L S C E N I C A R T I S T The workisnearlysoundless, asimplemanualactivity. One scenicartgrewinimportancetremendouslyduringandafterthe brushstrokeafteranotherismade,eachoneintendedtoconvey Renaissanceandtherediscoveryoftherulesofperspective.Inthe shapeandmeaning. Eachbrushstroke, every flickofspatteris renaissance,theabilitytodrawinperspectivewasthegreatestskill appliedwithpurposeandclearintention. Scenicpainting iswork ascenicartistpossessed,valuedevenovertheabilitytopaint.The thatfully engages themind andbody.Arethereleavesin this skillofdrawing,nowcalledcartooning,remainedasubspecialtyof brush? Notliterally, butdoes thisquickbounceandpushofthe scenicartforcenturiesfollowingtheRenaissance.Scenicartists brush convey“leaf”?Ashormapleoroak? Facingthesunlight, furthersubdividedthepaintingcraftintoarangeofspecialtiesby blown inthewind,oneontopofanother making abranch,a thenineteenthcentury,includingarchitecture,landscape, limb,atree.Andthenmakeanother few trees. perspective,andfantasticalscenesasinFigure1-1.Inthenineteenth Thisisthejobofascenic artist.Reflecting avisionoflife century,itwasthescenicartistwhowasthemasterofthestage throughpainting andpainting thingsonavery,very largescale. imageasbothdesignerandpainter.Remarkably,theactofpainting Wearinggrubbypaint-coveredclothesatworkisthenorm.Itisa forthestagetodayhaschangedlittlethroughthelongspanoftime remarkablydurableold-fashionedcraftseeminglyoutofsyncwith sincescenicpaintingbegan.AlltheIndustrialRevolutionbroughtthe thewireless24/7world.Novirtualbrushesyet.Ascenicartistis, scenicartistweremotorizedpaintframesandbetterwater-based after all,apainter practicing acraftthathaschangedverylittle paint.Onlyinthelast20yearshasatrulyfundamentaltechnological overthemanycenturies ofits existence. changecometoscenicartintheformofdigitizedartworkand “Theancientsrequiredrealisticpicturesofrealthings,”1 mechanized“painting”onalargescale. wrotetheRomanarchitectVitruviusinDearchitectura,orTen Thebeginning ofthetwentiethcenturybrought amore BooksonArchitecture,writtensometimeinthelastcenturyBC.This profoundaesthetic change toscenicartistrythrough the influentialbookwasrevisedandpublishedbyLeonBattistaAlberti developmentofmodernstagedesignandtheseparationofscenic duringtheItalianRenaissance.InDearchitectura,Vitruviusgivesus artistsandscenicdesigners. Itwasat thatpointin timethat thefirstwrittenrecordofscenicartistryindescribingGreekstage traditionaltwo-dimensional painted scenerywascritically decorationandpaintinginthetimeofÆschylus.Throughoutthat reexaminedin relationship tothepresenceofthehuman body 2,500-yeartimespan,itisundeniablethatthesimpletaskof onstage.Duetothiscritical reexamination ofscenic paintingas applyingcolortocanvaswithabrushhaschangedlittle.Thecraftof decoration, popularrecognitionoftheworkofthescenicartist disappearedrapidlyfromthispointintime.Ithadbeencommon fora scenicartistin thenineteenth centurytobegivenample 1Vitruvius,Dearchitectura,BookV,1999,Chapter6,p.69. ScenicArtfortheTheatre.DOI:10.1016/B978-0-240-81290-8.00001-1 3 ©2012ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved. 4 TheProfessionalScenicArtist The centuriesleadinguptothebeginning ofthemodern stage designmovement sawthedevelopment ofspectacular scenicpainting.Theabilityofthepaintedimagetobespectacular, opulent,fantastical, andmagicalkepttraditional scenicpainting alivein thetheatre.Somehowmodern stagecraftandtraditional stage paintingwereabletocoexist,permittingscenic artistryto continue andflourishuptoour owntime. Theatreproduction withoutpaintingnowseemsunimaginable. Thebestscenicartiststodayareunknowntothepublic,but areverywellknownandrespectedtotheprofessionalswhowork withthem.Itisunheardoftohavecreditgivenintheprogramofa Broadwayproductiontoanindividualscenicartistonthesamelevel asascenicdesigner.However,thoseofuswhoworkintheatre knowwellthatscenicartistsareasmuchapartofthecreative processasdesigners.JustasBroadwayproducersinsistonthework ofsuchgifteddesignersasAnnaLouizos,JohnLeeBeatty,ScottPask, andTonyWalton(tonamebutafew),itisinconceivablethatanyof thesegreatdesignerswouldallowtheirworktobepaintedanyplace otherthanamajorprofessionalscenicstudio. To beascenic artististoearn alivingby painting.Itmay mean thatone isaskedtowork oddhours, oftenin odd locations. Itmaymean workingonadifferent project almost everyweekoftheyear.Itmaymeannotworkingattimes,orat other timeshavingmorerequests foryourworkthanthereis timeintheday.Itmeansthatinalllikelihoodyouhavenooffice, youbringyourtoolswithyou,andyoumightnotworkwiththe same groupofpeopleregularly orinthesame place.Tobea scenicartist–specifically,asuccessfulself-employedscenicartist– FIGURE 1-1 Anexampleoftraditionalscenicpaintingstyleemulating nineteenth-centurytechnique,possiblypaintedbyaEuropeanartistbroughtto alsomeansthatyouneedtohavegoodorganizationandbusiness America.FromtheLyricOperaofChicago/NorthernIllinoisUniversityHistorical skills,asanyself-employedpersonneeds.Ascenicartistisaloner ScenicCollection(CourtesyoftheSchoolofTheatreandDance,Northern inaworldinwhichmostpeopleworkforverylargecorporations. IllinoisUniversity,AlexanderAducci,Curator). Somemayseethisas freedom;othersmaynotbecomfortable withthefinancialburdens ofindependence. Beingascenicartistishardphysicalwork,too.Thephysical recognitionbythepressandgeneralpublicfortheirpaintingskills. scaleoftheworkisimmenseandyouarenearlyalwaysonyour HadPeoplemagazineexisted 150years ago,itwouldnothave feet,asin Figure1-2.Theartistic andemotionaldemandsare beenuncommontoseeinitpicturesoffamousscenicartistsout great. Theworkingdaycan belong,maybeindoorsorout,and onthetownwithyoung aspiringactorsoractresses– suchwas maynotalways bepredictable.Itisnotthesort ofcareer one theirpopularity andprominence. Painted scenerywasvery simplyfallsintobecausethereisnothingbettertodo.Oneneeds suddenlyconsideredby sometobeterribly old-fashionedand toseek outthepractice,prepare oneselfforitthroughalong quaintby 1910:“Modernstage-craft hasbeenbornofa periodoftraining,andputoutafairefforttofindwork. realization thatpainting itselfisaminorpartofstagesetting.”2 Whatmaymatter mostisthatbeingascenic artistis ThisstatementbyLee Simonsontypified theoutlookofthe profoundly rewarding. Whatother professionallows youpaint moderntheatrepractitioners during muchofthetwentieth allday long?Ifpainting iswhatyouwanttodo,thereare few century. optionsforartists.Beingascenicartistis,afterall,beinganartist. Being ascenicartist allowsyou topaintandfrequently paint 2LeeSimonson,TheStageIsSet,NewYork,1932. thingsonavery grandscale. Thousand-square-foot canvases TheProfessionalScenicArtist 5 FIGURE 1-2 TheshopflooratScenicArtStudios,theonlyscenicshopintheNewYorkCityareadevotedsolelytoscenicpainting.EricStappachandMichalyn Monsonworkonthe2008FifiAwardCeremonydesignedbyChrisJones. knockedoutinone,two,orthreedays(orjustafewhours)are exactlywhattypeofpaintingascenicartistwillberequiredtodo not thestuffofeverydaylife,except forthescenic artist.This is duringthecourse ofanygivenday.Allprofessional scenic artists whatthescenic artistdoes,foritis acareerofpainting,plain arecertainly expected tobecapableofpainting large-scale andsimple.Thatscenicartisalsohardlaborbecomesapparentall backdrops,oncetheprincipaloutputofthetradeandtothisday tooquicklytotheyoung (andold)practitioner. Andsometimes avitalelement ofstage design.Contemporaryscenic artists are thisreality isthethingwefindhardtooverlook. Yetwhocan alsoexpected toadeptlypainttwo-andthree-dimensional denytherichpleasure oftheactofpainting?When thecanvas scenerybyemployingawide arrayofpainting techniques. isprimedandfresh,when thecartoon isreadyandthecolors Faux-finishtechniques onthree-dimensional surfaces areas mixed,itisexcitingtolaydownthefirstcoloronadrop.Thereis commonnowasthetraditionaltrompe l’oeilpaintingthatis animmediaterewardofabrushpullingoncanvasandtheproper thefoundation ofscenicart. stroke ofpaint. Doesthisnotfulfillusin someprofoundway? Scenicartistsmayapplypainttocanvas,linen,wood,plastic, foam,andmetalasamatter ofcourse.Theypaintobjectswhile standingandobjectslying down,requiringtwo different THEPROFESSIONALSCENICARTIST techniques. Ascenic artistuses apaletteoftraditionalcolors in Ascenicartist isahighlyspecializedpainter whoworks onvery severalformatsandavarietyofmediaaswellasvarioustexturing large-scaleandoftenrealisticpaintings.Yetthissortofpaintingis andfinishingproductsandmustbeanexpertintheuseofthese bynomeansallthatscenicartistsdo.Infact,itisdifficulttostate materials. Theypaintwithbrooms,sprayers, rollers,pumps, 6 TheProfessionalScenicArtist sponges,rags, feathers,and,ofcourse,brushes.Sculptureand sealing,texturing,thinning,extending,orchemicallydryingpaint. carving areskills expectedofmanyscenic artists,especiallyin Scenicartistsalsomustpossessknowledgeintheareasofscenic regionaltheatres (thoughatthetoplevelsofthecraftthereare design,drafting,calligraphy,andsignpainting.Inthisprofession, sculptorswhosculpt andcarveexclusively). Thus,knowledgeof wherevisualimagesarereproducedonalargescale,such sculptingandcrafting inwood,foam,fabric,metal,andother expertiseisthefoundationalskillset. materialsisalsoessentialknowledgeforthescenicartist,although Inadditiontotheseskills,exceptionalscenicartistswillhave notthefocusofthistext. acquireda widebaseofknowledge tosupportthevisualimages andeffectsthattheyareaskedtocreate.Knowledgeintheareas ofartandarthistory(clearly necessarytosuccessfully createan TheExpectationsofaProfessionalScenicArtist imagesuchasFigure1-3),architecture,architecturalandtheatrical Successfulscenicartists,likemanyartistsofthetheatre,needa history, photography,printing, mechanical image reproduction, widearrayofskillsandknowledgetoservethemintheir andgeometryandthenaturalsciencesareallpartofthebodyof profession.Thenatureofthebusinessoftheatremeansthatscenic knowledgethatcontributestotheday-to-dayworkofthescenic artistsmightencounterajobnotknowinganyoftheircolleagues artist.Akeencuriosityandgoodpowersofobservationhelpput orthedesignerwhoseworktheywillsoonpaint;norwouldthey thisacquiredknowledgetowork.Travelandexperiencecertainly knowtheproducerwhoispayingthem.However,thescenicartist contribute totheabilitytosynthesizeone’sknowledgeofthe willbeexpectedtocomewithknowledgeandskillsatprofessional physicalworld.The abilitiestocalluptheseskills andtowork standards–skillscommontoscenicartistsworldwide.Someskills quickly andwithouthaving tounnecessarily reworkoroverwork areself-evident:allprofessionalscenicartistsmustdrawandpaint anystepofthescenicpainting processare necessarytocall verywell.Scenicartistsalsomustknowtheirtools–paintand oneselfa professionalscenic artist. brushes–aswellashowtoworkonsurfacestheyarecalledonto Drawinganddraftingaretheskillsscenicartistsusewhen paintandthehundredsofproductsusedinpainting,staining,dying, beginningascenicimageandarethebasisofscenicpainting.Nearly FIGURE 1-3 Chaucer.ScenicdesignbyDavidBirn,paintedatScenicArtStudios.ThisdesignclearlyemulatestheBaroquepaintingstyleandtechnique. TheProfessionalScenicArtist 7 precisedrawing skills.Puttingawallpaperstenciltoeffective use requiresconsiderable preparationandplanningusingan accuratelydrawnregistrationgrid.Accuratelyregisteringapattern acrossseveralindependentscenicunitsrequiresadisciplinedand thoughtfulorganization ofthepainting surfacebasedonprecise measurementanddrawing. Anextremelyspecializedform ofdrawingconsists of calligraphy,lettering,andsign painting, whichshapelettersand words,perhapsthemostprecisesetofgraphicimagesinthe world.Theseimagesarefamiliar toallviewers, whoinstinctively recognizegoodorpoorlettering.Scenicartistsshouldthushavea workingknowledgeoftheconstructionofcommonserifandsans serif–styleletteringaswellasanunderstandingofcalligraphyand signpainting. Calligraphyandsignpainting relyonbrush techniquesas wellastheform oftheletters themselves andare specializedskills thatscenic artists mustatleastcomprehend. Scenicpaintingskillsrelyonthefundamentalsofpaintingand colortheory andavariety ofpaintingtechniques.Sound understanding ofcolor iscritical forscenic artists,whomixpaint colorsbasedontheir understanding ofhowcolorsanddifferent typesofpaintinteract toachievetheir targetcolor.Manipulating theapplicationofcoloronapaintedsurfacesothatitappearsto beonehueatadistanceandacombinationofhuescloseupisa skillbasedonunderstandingcolorandhumanopticalperception. Scenicartists alsomustbewellversedinhowpainting FIGURE 1-4 EnchantedApril,designedbyTonyStraiges,paintedat ScenicArtStudios.Beautifulfoliagepaintingrequiresknowledgeofthesubject techniqueshave evolved.Scenicartistryis aprofessioninwhich matteraswellasgoodpaintingskills. artistsmightbecalledontorecapturethesoulandsubstanceof artfromallerasinhistory.Inoneproduction,ascenicartistmay becalledontorecreateaverylarge-scaleRembrandt’sTheNight everyscenicartproject,particularlyifitistrompel’oeil,beginswith Watch,whereasinthenextproduction,thechallengemightbeto anaccuratedrawingtoguidethework.Thedrawingof createwallpaperinthestyleofAndyWarhol.Scenicartistsmust architecturereliesontherulesofgeometryandlinearperspective understandthemethodswhereby theseworkswereoriginally forprecision.Geometryisessential,asitprovidesarational, createdtorecreate themon stage.Furthermore,theymustbe mathematicalbasisformanyaspectsofvisualarts,includingform abletorecreatetheseimagesvery quickly.Scenic artistscannot andproportion.Mostartistsneedcomprehensivedrawingand reproduceTheNightWatch withthethickly appliedoil-based draftingskillsaswellasasoundunderstandingofperspectiveto pigmentthatRembrandtusedorturntosilkscreeningasWarhol reproduceacompleximagelikeaperspectivestreetscene.Thisis did.Instead, theymustrelyon theirknowledge ofmodern especiallytruewhenlayingoutafull-stagedrop.Scenicartists mediumsandalternativetechniquestorecreatethesameeffects paintingadropmustbeincommandoftheoverallperspective quicklywhile fulfilling thevisionofthescenicdesigner. whiledrawingitoutinsmallmanageablepieces.But,beyond Knowledge andunderstanding ofthehistories ofart, drawing,eventhesimplestwetblendofonecolortoanothermust architecture,andtheatre alsoare essential tounderstanding what havecorrectproportiontolookbalanced.ClassicalGreekideals scenicartists arecalled ontopaint,as evidencedin thedifferent ofproportionandformarebasedongeometricrationality.These stylesofFigure 1-5andFigure1-6.Scenic artistsneedtohave a aestheticsofproperproportionandidealformarethecoreof thoroughknowledge andunderstanding ofthescenicdesigner’s manyofthevisualimagesweseetoday. artisticintentbehindtheuseofclassicandartisticreferencesina Drawinganddraftingskillsare alsocritical tomany designso thattheintentcomesthroughclearly inthe prepainting layoutskills.Preparingawallpaperstencilrequires contemporaryexecutionofit.Theatreistremendouslyrelianton 8 TheProfessionalScenicArtist FIGURE 1-5 Anexampleofturn-of-the-centuryAmericantheatricalscenicpainting.TheTwinCitiesScenicCollection(CourtesyofthePerformingArtsArchives, UniversityofMinnesotaLibraries,St.Paul,Minnesota). historyandhistoricalreferences. Weworkwith400-year-old styles oftheearlytwentieth centuryandlater, andall ofthese playsasamatterofcourse.Althoughthestatementaproduction elements arepart ofthevisualvocabulary ofa scenicdesigner. makesisobviously contemporary, theelements ofexpression Theknowledge ofthetheatreis vastlyimportanttothe oftenaredrawnfrom history. Manyscenicdesigners describe professionalscenicartistinregardtounderstandingthemannerin theirworkintermsofotherartistsorartisticmovements,evenif whichatheatrical productioniscreated. Scenic artistscould nodirectimitationisinvolved. Because designersoftenrelyon understandablyenvisionthemselves asasolitarypainter,butone phrasestoevokeascenic vision,suchas“thecoolcontrolled mustremainaware oftheinterrelationship betweenthescenic worldofVermeer”or“thedarkqualityofRomanesque artistandthosewhocreatethevisionofascenicdesign–those architecture,”allthewhiledescribing adesignforTheLifeand whobuilditandthosewhouseit. DeathofKingJohn,scenic artists hadbetterknowwhatthese Photography is a useful means to observe the world codedwordsmean.Thesereferencesareawayofdescribingthe because it asksthe careful photographer to consider light, both intangiblesofdesign.Sometimesthebestwaytoputwordstoan natural and artificial, in an objective way. Light reveals all visual imageistobringtomindthememoryofawell-knownimageasa images. Understanding and reproducing how surface, form, vehicletoconveystyleandintention. and atmosphere respond to light is the mark of a proficient Knowinghistoricalstyles oftheentertainmentindustry is painter. The very act of photography helps anyone retain the critical aswell.Weshareahistory withvaudeville, melodrama, memory of a place. A stock of photographs can serve as a TheProfessionalScenicArtist 9 FIGURE1-6 ScenicartistsIrinaPortnyaginawithscenicdesignerScottPaskconferaboutthedropsforMartinShort:FameBecomesMeatScenicArtStudios. fabulous personal resource for scenic artists. For example, an andscenicartists.Complexsignageiseasilycartoonedoractually album of cloud and sky photos will come in handy for scenic cutintomany commonlyusedmaterials withtheaidofa artists painting sky drops and landscapes. This is evidenced by computer-guided router, commonlycalledaCNC(Computer theubiquitouspresenceofJudyJuracek’smarvelouspublications NumericalControl)machine.Stencilsofanytypecanbemadein ArchitecturalSurfaces,SoftSurfaces,andSurfacesinscenicstudios thesame way, andacomputer willhelp intheregistration and on scenic designers’ shelves. These three publications are process.Digitalimagemanipulation can aidascenic artistin rich collections of high-quality photographs of common and adaptingpaintelevations tooddsizesorin creatingmore uncommonobjectsandsurfacesthatdesignersandartistsusein mechanical printing“looks”suchasdotscreening. Scenic the theatre. Many successful scenic artists collect books of designersusephotocopyinganddigitalimaging extensivelyto photographs, paintings, and drawings that describe the physical makepaintelevations.Large-format copymachines andprinters world to use as reference for their work. Internet image provideasource toscenic artistsforfinished,ornearlyfinished, searchesareanextraordinarilyusefultoolifusedwithadequate colorimagesforstage use.Ultra-wide format paintingmachines knowledge to know when the search turns up inaccurate arewidelyusedforfull-stagedropsorlargepaintedsurfaces.The information. verypresenceofthesemachines forcesadebate astothe Knowledgein thetechnology ofrelatedcrafts hasdirect relevanceofthescenicartistversus amachinethatpaints.One applicationtoscenic art,particularly withcomputersand cannotexpect thatthesimpleandmarvelous humangestureof mechanical image reproduction.Copy machinesandthe paintingcanever bereplacedinacost-effective way,butitisa computer arenowirreplaceabletools formost scenicdesigners goodideaforscenicartists tobefully aware ofhowsuch 10 TheProfessionalScenicArtist machines workandwhatsorts ofbinders,pigments,and simple ingredients make magnificent dishes, like a cassoulet or a applicationprocessestheyemploy. risotto.Inthesamelight,apaintingis,afterall,justsomuchpaint. Theunderstandingofsomenaturalsciencescanbecritical Part of what makes painting and cooking similar is the craft knowledgeforascenicartist.Geologyisfarfromthestudyof behind them. Good cooking starts with solid technical skills: paintingandtheatre,butforanartistresponsibleforpainting chopping items correctly, making a simplebéchamel sauce, using representationsandaspectsoftheworldwelivein,thisisanarea ingredients at the right temperature, and so on. Then one ofknowledgethatwillproveinvaluableinsomeprojects.For actually cooks each element of a dish in the correct manner – instance,scenicartistsareoftencalledontorealisticallyrecreate nottoolong,nottooquickly.Thenoneseasonswithrestraintto marbleandstoneinpaint.Toaccuratelypaintmarble,particularly allow the inherent flavors to emerge. It is not magic, just good atalargescale,thepainter’sworkismademucheasierwiththe andconsistentpractice.Thesameistrueofpainting:ifonetakes knowledgeofhowstoneismade,cut,andusedinarchitecture. all the correct steps in order and does them well, the result is Theknowledgeofwhytheveinsexistinmarbleandhowtheygot sound. I was taught early on that every step of the painting thereiscriticaltothereproductionofit.Thisisclearlyapparent process needs to be well executed and that a poorly drawn or whenapplyingpaintedstonetothree-dimensionalsurfacesfroma painted step cannot be improved by better work later. Best to two-dimensionalpaintelevationandwhenstandingonalarge correct things then and there. Good painters, like good cooks, dropworkingfromasmallelevation.Knowinghowmarbleis know that painting too much – overpainting – can destroy good formedandveinedispartofknowingwhyitlooksthewayitlooks. work, just as too much salt can ruin a delicate dish. Part of Understandingofthenaturalworldonabasiclevelhelpsapainter learningtopaintislearningprocessandpracticingrestraintwhen workmorerapidlyandimprovisewhenneeded.Knowledgeofthe appropriate. subjectmattercangiveinsightintothedesigner’sgoalandgivesthe artistandthedesignerameanstocommunicate.Understanding TheScenic Artist’sPerception thestructureofamountainrangecanbeatremendousassetwhen paintingalandscapeofmountains,astheknowledgeofthe Being agoodpainter isthemostobviousskillforascenic artist. mountainsgivesthepainterinsightintotheirformandhelpsturn Butascenic artistisaspecialkindofpainter, andtheremustbe eachshapeontheelevationintoameaningfulbrushstroke.This something thatmakesonewanttoworkin film,television, or approachappliestopaintingtrees,clouds,andalmostanynatural theatreinsteadofinyourownlittlestudio.Scenicartistsmustbe formsuchasthefoliageinFigure1-4. abletoperceiveandcarryforwardthescenicdesigner’sintent, Theexperienceoftravelcertainlyisanirreplaceableassetfor notjustenlarge andreproduce whatisgiventhembutto anyscenicartist,astravelbringsinsightintotheworldonelivesin. transform it.Usually, scenicartists areinterpreting theworkofa Travelhasbeen,andstillis, animportantcomponent ofhigher scenic designerfrom averysmall scaleintoalargesize educationforuniversity students.Itisarevelation tothecareful appropriate forthetheatre.Thekeytothecraftistheabilityto observertoseeItalyforthefirsttime.The skyandstoneofthe interpret.Most anyonecan learntotraceormechanically countryhaveauniquequality,andthisqualitymakescleartheuse reproduce animage.Scenicartists mustinterpret visual ofcolorslikeItalianBlueandRawUmber.Haveyoueverseena information receivedfromthedesigner,not justbysurface paintingofaplaceyouknowandrealizedthatthepainter appearance butalsobyhowthatinformationrelates tothe responsiblehadactually neverbeenthere? Somanyaspectsof overallstage picture. Thus,scenicartists mustunderstandthe theworldcannotbefully captured inaphotograph, suchas the scenicdesigner’sartisticintentions.Thisabilitytointerpretcannot diminutivesizeofanoldEuropean villageorthemassive quality beunderstated.Thebottomlineisthatscenicartistshavetopaint ofManhattan buildingdetails.Travelis notjustleisuretimefor scenerywithabrush–orsomethinglikeabrush–andmakethe scenicartists;observing thevariety oftheworldbuildsintegrity image happennomatter whatform theinformationcomes in. intotheirwork. Timeandtimeagain,scenic artistsare calledon Goodscenic artists mustalsobeabletoremain neutral intheir tofillintheblanks,makeupadetail,orfleshoutapieceoftrim. ownpaintingstyleinordertoabsorbthestyleofthearttheyare Havingapersonalreserveofexperiencemakesthatworkallthe expected tointerpret. moreinteresting andauthentic. Itisundeniablethatmorejobopportunities existin Thequalitiesofagoodchefarenotunlikethoseofagood professionalscenicpaintingnowthaneverbefore.Thisiscertainly painter. Good cooks take individual ingredients and make a trueifoneincludesscenicartistswhoworkintelevision,film,and mixturethatisbetterthanthesumoftheparts.Infact,relatively decorativearts.Itisalsotruethattherearemanymorepathsby TrainingtoBeaScenicArtist 11 whichoneenterstheprofessionnowthantherewereinthepast, complement thecast shadowanddescribe thequalityoflight? If eventherecentpast.ThisismosttrueinNorthAmerica,wherea thisimagewereexecutedinanimpressionisticstyle,whatwould sprawling privateandpublicuniversity systemprovidesgood thepalette ofcolors be?Becausescenic artists arefirstand exposureand,insomecases,excellenttrainingintheatrepractice. foremost visualartists,theseexercises arepreformednumerous The traditionaltrainingformat wasanapprentice system,onein timeseachday– almostunconsciously – becausetheartists are whichwomenwererarelyadmitted.Thishaschangedsignificantly alwaysseeing andimprovingtheir paintskills,regardless of in thelast 100years, inpartas aresultoftheuniversities whetherthereis abrushinhand. mentionedearlierandtheappearanceofveryspecializedprivate Scenicartistsmustbeconversantandfluidinmanydifferent schoolsandstudiotraining. TheAmerican unionfortheatrical stylesofart. Theseskills arealsoreflectedin thescenic artist’s artists,UnitedScenicArtists(USA),alsohasrecentlyinstitutedan abilitytorecognizeandunderstandtheskillandstylisticfluidityof apprenticeship program forscenicartists. otherartists.Figures 1-7and1-8showthetransitionfrom Nomatterhowonebeginstodevelopscenicpaintingskills,it paintingtostagethatanexperienced scenicartistneeds tobe takestime–oftenalotoftime–tobecomeanaccomplished, abletoaccomplish.Whether walkingthroughapicture gallery, independentartist.Evenafteradvancedtrainingatauniversity,it lookingthroughabook,orobservingtheworkofpeers,scenic maytakeyearsofexperiencetoattaintheskillsrequiredto artistscontinually refine theirknowledge andskills byscrutinizing proficientlypaintonechallenginganddiverseprojectafteranother. howotherartistshavesolvedcartooningproblems,appliedcolor Almosteverysuccessfulscenicartistcanpointtooneortwo theory,andutilizedpaintingtechniques.Whenscenicartistsarein peopleintheircareerwhotookthemundertheirwingandtrained them.Thoughapprenticeshipisnolongertheonlywayintothe profession,amentor’sguidanceisacriticalpartofascenicartist’s development.Therearealwaysextremelygiftedpainterswho seemtounderstandexactlyhowscenicpaintingworksevenafter minimalexposuretotheartform.However,therestofusmust keepinmindthatbecomingagoodscenicartistrequirespatience. Thereismuchtolearnartistically,managerially,andpractically. Anotherimportantaphorismtokeepinmindisthatscenicartists neverstoplearning.Everyencounterwiththephysicalworldis anotheropportunityforthescenicartisttobetterunderstandthe practice,techniques,andartoftheprofession. TRAININGTOBEASCENICARTIST Ultimately, scenic artistryisbasicallyavisualart. Besidesthevast arrayoftechnicalandorganizationalskills theymustpossess, scenic artistsmustbeabletoseeandinterpret theworld.The word seeinghereisdistinguishedfrom thewordlooking. Developingpaintingskillsbecomespartofeverywakingmoment becausetheseskillsaredirectlyrelatedtotheskillsofobservation. Scenic artistsmustlearn howtoseetheworldaroundthem, constantly exercisingtheir observationalskills bybreakingdown every formorvistaintothecomponents necessarytotranslate themintotwo-dimensional images. Howisthedepthoffield describedinlinework?Howwouldthelineworkbeconstructed FIGURE 1-7 Designforchandeliers,UnBalloinMascheraatthe torepresenttheforeshorteningofforms?Howcanatexturebe MetropolitanOpera,NewYorkCity.SketchdraftedbyHalTiné,paintedby recreated? Whatbasecoatshouldbeused?Whichelements PeterWexler.PhotobyPeterWexler,courtesyoftheNewYorkPublicLibrary wouldbepaintedfirst?Whatpaintingtechniqueswouldbeused? forthePerformingArtsatLincolnCenter,BillyRoseTheatreCollection,Peter Wherewouldtheshadesbelocated?Whathighlightcolorwould WexlerCollection. 12 TheProfessionalScenicArtist FIGURE1-8 Theopeningsettingforthe1980productionofUnBalloinMaschera,attheMetropolitanOperaatLincolnCenter,NewYorkCity.PhotobyPeter Wexler,courtesyoftheNewYorkPublicLibraryforthePerformingArtsatLincolnCenter,BillyRoseTheatreCollection,PeterWexlerCollection. thepaintshop,theseskills ofobservation arereflectedintheir universities have undergraduate degree programs in theatre accuratedraftingability,abilitytoassesscolorintermsofchroma offering Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts degree (hue),intensity andvalue,stylistic fluidity, andabilitytoevaluate options.Theseprogramspreparestudentsforadvancedtraining thequalityofscenic paintinginworkas itprogressthrough the or provide ambitious students with enough information to stepsofpaintingontheshopfloor. continuetheirowntrainingasapprenticesorfull-fledged scenic Until the twentieth century, training in the art of scenic artists. painting was almost exclusively available only to the sons of establishedscenicartistsandyoungmenwillingtoworkundera American UniversityTraining Programs longapprenticeship.Intheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies, young painters commonly began to learn the craft in scenic Thepopulation boom intheUnitedStatesduringthetwentieth studios before their teens. This changed considerably in the centuryvastlyexpandedacollegeanduniversity systeminall twentieth century, principally due to the influence of labor 50states,makingpostsecondaryschoolingavailabletomillionsof unionsthathumanizedworkingconditions,improvedpayscales, students. Asnotedpreviously,many universities intheUnited and fought for the inclusion of women in the craft. Equally Stateshave adoptedpracticaltrainingfortheatrecraftintotheir significant is the vast expansion of training opportunities in the curricula.Thegrowthofthissystemhastakenplaceatroughlythe theatre through the American university system. There are same timeasthegrowthofunionsrepresenting thetheatrical dozens of university programs in which terminal Master of Fine trades.Someofthefirstinfluential American scenicdesigners Arts degrees are available to performers, designers, and established thefirsttheatrical trainingprogramsat American technicians of the theatre. Few offer degrees specifically for universities. Yale University established thefirst trainingprogram scenic artists, but many offer training in scenic art. Even more forscenicdesigners inthe1920sunderthedirectionofDonald
The list of books you might like
