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Metaphor and Irony Explores Theatrical Design
Metaphor and Irony: Czech Scenic and Costume Design 1920-1999, will cover nearly a century of costume and scene design from the Czech Republic. Curated by Helena Albertova, a faculty member of the School for Applied Arts, Charles University, Prague and former director of the Czech Theatre Institute, and Joe Brandesky , associate professor of theatre, The Ohio State University-Lima. T he exhibition will be on display from July 27-October 15, 2000, at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery. Metaphor and Irony was organized by the Ohio Arts Council and the Theatre Institute, Prague, in partnership with The Ohio State University Department of Theatre, Columbus and Lima campuses, Spencer Museum of Art and the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum.
On Sunday, October 1 from 2-4 p.m. the gallery will host A Conversation with Jaroslav Malina a scenic and costume designer from Prague, as part of the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute Lecture series. The lecture is presented by The Ohio State University Department of Theatre, in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council.
Theatre often is described as the art form that gives historians their best opportunity to reconstruct a society at a given point in time. Much has been made of Shakespeare’s and Moliere’s plays as windows into their cultures. While plays provide many avenues for sociological, philological and philosophical research, another source of insight is provided by costume and scene designs.
The 80-year span covered by Metaphor and Irony traces the influences of European art movements and philosophies on theatre artists in the Czech homeland. The external influences provide an historical context for comparisons between Czech designers and their European contemporaries. Even more fascinating are the insights those designs provide into the Czech cultural landscape and national perspective.
The Czech Republic, bordered by Poland, Germany, Slovakia and Austria, lies at the crossroads of Europe. Geography partially explains the richness and variety of cultural activities in Prague and other main cities. Another source, also attributable to geography, is to be found in the Czech national consciousness. Irony, metaphor and a mighty sense of humor were necessary for the survival of a people who, between 1526 and 1918, witnessed the diminution of their national identity by Hapsburg rulers.
That Austrian dynasty’s domination of Central Europe ended when the region was recognized as Czechoslovakia by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Hitler’s invasion in 1938 ended 20 years of independence and the Soviet occupation after 1945 meant Czechs would not rule themselves for 44 years. Designers in this exhibition, and Czech artists in general, had to find ways around the censors, official pronouncements and, in some cases, work restrictions. Under those circumstances, metaphors, puns and dissembling became necessary for theatrical expression.
The earliest stages of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, a reference to the relatively non-violent transition from Communist satellite to independent democracy, took place in Prague theatres, with dissident playwright Vaclav Havel as one of its primary voices. The aftermath of the revolution challenged Czech artists to adjust to economic realities and the financial temptations offered by conforming to Western standards and aesthetics. In this new democratic era, contemporary Czech designers continue the line of whimsy and abstraction begun and extended by their talented antecedents.
The Czech national entry at the Ninth Prague Quadrennial, an international exhibition of stage design and theatre architecture, was awarded the Golden Triga, or main prize, in June 1999. That prestigious award bodes well for young Czech designers, but also reflects the talents and traditions of their teachers.
This exhibition reflects on the development of Czech design during three-quarters of a century. Traces of the trends and tendencies of past generations can be seen in current work and lead viewers to ponder the possibilities of Czech theatre design in the 21st century.
Metaphor and Irony: Czech Scenic and Costume Design 1920-1999 will tour to The Ohio State University-Lima, November 4-11, 2000; Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas, February 5-March 25, 2001; and Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas, April 7-June 3, 2001.
The exhibition is supported by the Ohio Building Authority. Media sponsors include Columbus Alive, Small Business News and Time Warner Communications.
The Riffe Gallery, operated by the Ohio Arts Council, showcases the work of Ohio’s artists and curators and the collections of the state’s museums and galleries. The gallery is in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, State and High Streets, Columbus, OH. Hours are Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m. and Sunday 12-4 p.m. Admission is free. For information or to schedule a tour call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.
The Ohio Arts Council, a state agency established in 1965, builds the state through the arts—economically, educationally and culturally—preserving the past, enhancing the present and enriching the future for all Ohioans. The Council believes the arts should be shared by the people of Ohio. The arts arise from public, individual and organizational efforts. The OAC supports and encourages those efforts.
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