Favorsky as a stage designer
Vladimir Favorsky (1886-1964) is a brilliant graphic artist and book illustrator. He has not done a great deal as an artist of the theatre. But what he has done in the theatre is quite unusual. His principles in the theatre design were different from the generally accepted ones. He was against the pretty accuracy of the décor. Favorsky believed in the power of the theatrical convention, in the specific quality of the language of the stage.
The best of Favorsky’s works for the stage was the Moscow Art Theatre production of “Twelfth Night”. On taking up the play he became the master of the whole area of the stage, the artist was responsible for the visual aspect of the play. Favorsky constructed a revolving set which was a ‘skeleton’ for the décor of every scene. He first used the system of painted panels which not only showed the place of action but were artistically noteworthy. In working on “Twelfth Night” Favorsky found an uninterrupted rhythmic connection between the changes of the set and the unfolding of the action of the play. Changes of scenery in a production are tiring for the audience and interrupt the rhythm of the play. Favorsky transformed these interludes into pleasant musical rest. “Twelfth Night” was extremely beautiful in colouring. He chose pure and vivid concentrations of colour for his costumes. This concentration expressed something of the lyric feeling of Shakespeare’s original.
In all the plays Favorsky designed, including Lope de Vega’s “A Dog in the Manger” (for the Mayakovsky Theatre), Pushkin’s “Boris Godunov” and “Little Tragedies”, he continued to reject the canons of naturalistic decoration.
Artistic achievement in the theatre is not possible without having absolute harmony between the director and the artist. The theatre of today is in great need of talented, original artistic personalities. And it may be that they are needed in the sphere of decoration and design more than in any other sphere.
Words & Expressions:
a revolving set – вращающаяся сцена
scene – сцена (место действия в пьесе)
scenery – декорации
“A Dog in the Manger” – «Собака на сене»
Questions:
What is V. Favorsky most famous for?
What are his innovations in the theatre design?
What were his principles of stage design?
What was he against in this sphere?
What were Favorsky’s most successful productions?
Is it possible to have a success in the theatre without harmony between the director and the artist?
P hotography
Photography is a very powerful medium and a very difficult craft. Excellent photos don’t only display some facts — they tell stories, awake feelings and manage to share with the audience the emotions a photographer experienced when clicking the shot button. Taking excellent pictures is hard as you need to find a perfect perspective and consider the perfect timing. To achieve brilliant photography you need practice and patience. However, it is worth it: the results can be truly stunning.
Paintings are considered the art form, but what about photography? The Frenchman Henri Cartier-Bresson, possibly the most famous photographer in the 20th century, emphasised the difference between painting as art and photography as art. In 1957, he told ‘The Washington Post’ that “There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative.” He is, of course, referring to the absolutely unique moment, never to be repeated, when the exposure is taken.
A further characteristic of photography, unlike painting, is that more can be captured in a photograph than was intended by the photographer. Fine details, unexpected and often invisible to the naked eye, can be revealed. The photograph ‘does not lie’ because it has not passed through the brain of the photographer. This is completely different from the brain processes of the painter, who decides what he is going to paint, how he will make the subject interesting and how he is going to paint it.
Some critics of photography claim that modern cameras reduce photo-taking to an automatic process. They say, “Just point and shoot. The camera does the rest. You will get a good photo.” However, those who see photography as an art form say that the critics are wrong. They say that the camera cannot decide between an ordinary photo and a really excellent, cleverly composed photo. Millions of photographs are taken every year but very few are considered art.
Words & Expressions:
photography - фотографирование
craft – ремесло, профессия
stunning – ошеломляющий
to take a picture – фотографировать
to click the camera – щелкнуть затвор фотоаппарата
to shoot – снимать
Questions:
Do you take photographs? Why?
Do you prefer colour or black and white photographs?
Do you think photography is an art form?
What is the difference between photography and paintings?
Do you have a favourite photographer?
Why do you think people visit photo exhibitions?
Describe one of the best photographs you have taken or you have seen.
Exercise. Which of the following do you consider to be art? Explain your reasons.
some graffiti on a wall
a tattoo on someone’s body
a holiday photograph
a pile of bricks in an exhibition
a comic book
a painting of a bowl of fruit
an advertisement for a product
a firework display