Backstage in Peking Opera, a made-up actress chats into her
mobile phone - a jarring contrast with the imperial beauty who
sings on stage. A bored emperor smokes a
cigarette.?It's?an unusual exhibit of unscripted moments
of the highly scripted art form.
Highly stylized Peking Opera has long been favored as a subject
by painters for its vivid costumes, stage settings and cultural
elements. While most opera artists paint actors on stage, Wang
Zhanxin offers a behind-the-scenes peek at spontaneous moments
backstage.
More than 50 of the Peking Opera stage designer's oil paintings
capture spontaneous moments or view the stage itself from the
perspective of the backstage and wings. They depict performers
applying theatrical makeup, sitting on a chair and waiting between
acts and practicing in the wings, glimpses into a different
world.
An actress speaks into her mobile phone, another smokes a
cigarette. Wang captures the spontaneous expressions without the
greasepaint, or sometimes the expressions revealed despite the
greasepaint.
Wang's exhibition is underway at the Shun Art Gallery at 50
Moganshan Road through the end of the month.
The Beijing-based artist was not originally a fan of Peking
Opera since she didn't like the slow rhythm of Chinese traditional
opera at first. But as a stage designer, she spent plenty of time
on and around stage, arranging the costumes and designing the stage
lighting.
"I used to see the opera stage in the perspective of the whole
arrangement and lighting," says Wang.
At first glance, her vivid and natural paintings look like
photographs, since visitors can easily catches the vibrant lights
and shadows. However, the seemingly clear strokes and lines do not
actually depict a specific opera figure, or anything in detail.
What fascinates Wang most about Peking Opera is the perfect
color combinations in costumes. "I love the colors that are used,
such as red, green, yellow and blue," she says. "The combination of
pure but bright colors is truly a visual enjoyment for
viewers."
After watching Peking Opera for 14 years, Wang developed a
deeper understanding of this traditional art form and became
fascinated by the mysterious backstage.
"For me, everything behind the scenes is a mystery, you don't
know what is going on unless you see it with your own eyes," the
curious young artist says.
"Backstage is totally a different world from the performance
world. It is usually in a mess," says Wang. "An actress holding a
mobile phone sending messages, performers hurrying on stage and off
stage. It is so interesting."
Wang captures the natural moments of the backstage scenes, and
creates a calm environment in her paintings. She compares the stage
and backstage with "day and night."
"On the stage, artists wearing heavy makeup and costumes
precisely perform under the bright stage lights," she says.
"However, when they go backstage, everything goes darker, the
colorful costumes are wrapped up in the dim light."
Her backstage paintings reflect performers' mental states and
spontaneous, unconscious movements before they go on the stage.
She paints the figures in a realistic manner, adding abstract
color blocs in contrast. The light and shadow is the "life" of her
painting.
Wang started her backstage opera series in 2005.
"I am an innovative person and always trying to find something
new," says Wang. "I am content with my own ideas, even if they are
not mature enough. At least, they represent my own style."
In her view, what makes a great artist is his or her unique
characteristic. "This is what I am pursuing," says the artist.
Date: through August 31, 10 AM - 6 PM
Address: Bldg 3, 50 Moganshan Rd
Tel: (+86)21-5252-7198
(Shanghai Daily August 17, 2007)