ARTS & CULTURE
Left, oil paintings are costume designs from Le Coq d’Or (The Golden Cockerel), Natalia Goncharova (c. 1922) . Right, Lesley Dill’s
Paris Speaking Dress (1996)
47 March/April 2020 StPeteLifeMag.com
large exhibit that covers so many art movements. He decided
to divide it into six themes, setting the stage in the entrance
gallery by celebrating the legendary Ballets Russes. The famed
dance company was founded in Paris in 1909 by Serge Diaghilev,
and united the most daring visual artists (Henri Matisse, Pablo
Picasso), choreographers (Vaslav Nijinsky), dancers (Anna
Pavlova), and composers (Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky) of the time
to create innovative, avant-garde performances. Scenes from
legendary ballets grace the walls, while the spotlight here shines
on a dramatic cape of brocade metallic embroidery trimmed in
ermine fur designed for The Firebird (1909-1911).
The exhibit’s largest gallery is dedicated to Russian avantgarde
artist, painter, costume designer, writer, illustrator,
and set designer Natalia Goncharova. She was one of the
introduced Western audiences to Slavic culture. Her bold, colorful
work encompassed many styles from Cubism to Futurism and
Expressionism, and her paintings and costumes here are lively
and a joy to behold. One of the exhibit’s stunners is Goncharova’s
colorful backdrop for the French production of the Russian operaballet
1913, an ethnic scene in
brilliant reds and golds.
Revolutionary Russia follows in a gallery that screens a silent
black and white futuristic epic, Aelita Queen of Mars (1924), based
on the Alexei Tolstoy novel of the same name and perhaps one
Russian engineer who dreams that he travels from Moscow to
Mars, where he helps to overthrow its oppressive leaders.
Here we see sketches and paintings of structured, geometric
costume design by Cubo-Futurist painter Alexandra Exter, who
was hired to design the Martian costumes and sets. (A highlight
of the performances will surely be when the band La Lucha
performs a live soundtrack to a screening of Aelita Queen of Mars
on April 17 and April 19.) Aelita
airplanes over Moscow.
by noted designers Lesley Dill and Robert Indiana and art by
David Hockney, who all worked with directors, composers and
stage production of The Mother of Us All, takes us to the days of
Lesley Dill’s stunning costume gowns, particularly the Red
Ecstasy dress that was worn in Divide Light, are showstoppers.
Dill loved making statements and her powerful Paris Speaking
Dress
of rough cream covered in ribbons of text, all words from Emily
Dickinson cascading from the bodice. Finally, David Hockney’s
circus-like posters for a French Triple Bill brings Art of the Stage
full circle.
For a complete schedule of events, check out
www.mfastpete.com
Dancer/choreographer
Helen Hansen French
performs with Open/
Space Collective on the
exhibit stage April 16
from 5 to 7 pm and and
April 30 from 6 to 8 pm,
on Saturday, May 2 from
2 to 4 pm. Included with
museum admission.
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