Jo Whaley
Stage Stills (7)
2016

Name: Stage Stills (7)
Brand: Jo Whaley
Price: 2000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Stage Stills “With the portfolio of images entitled Stage Stills, I have returned to my roots as a scenic artist, but from a different perspective. Upon seeing the backstage of the theater at Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I recognized the rarity of the theatrical collection. The 76 backdrops were painted in 1911 and the theater with its props and rigging has remained unchanged. With the generous permission and support from the Scottish Rite Masons, I began a two-part project: one documentary, the other artistic. In the art portfolio of images entitled Stage Stills I am responding to theatrical backdrops that were intended for masonic degree performances, but I repurpose their original intent. In my eyes they are viewed out of context and are material for fiction. I arrange the props, stage the models and design the lighting in order to create an image, much as I have done in my studio for years. The difference is that the scale is much grander and I must interact to the arcane visual references inherent in the theatrical past of the backdrops. These Stage Stills also take the viewer backstage, deconstructing the illusion that theater hopes to create and revealing the stagecraft. Theatrical sets are always created with speed and efficiency, intending to look good only from the distance of the audience. Up close they tend to appear crude and in the case of the Scottish Rite temple collection, showing the signs of over a century of use. The camera captures these cracks in the illusion. This series is still in progress. I have fallen down a rabbit hole into a theatrical fantasy world still intact. There is more to explore.” – Jo Whaley 2016

Creator:

Jo Whaley (American)

Creation Year:

2016

Dimensions:

Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 33 in (83.82 cm)

Medium:

Archival Pigment

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

2010-