Russian Avant Garde theatre: War, revolution and design
I began this show
on the corridor by the theatre galleries in which the museum often hold small
shows and displays so I was expecting it to be about 5 cases in size so I
lingered there! Then I turned a corner and it went on into the galleries and
actually turned out to be quite a large exhibition!
I found it
fascinating as it became not only a history of the theatre but also a history
of art and design in Russia at that time.
It was interesting to see the radical art which fed into the Revolution
and then the effects of Stalin. I had studied the Russia from the Revolution to
the Cold War at O level but never thought of it in terms of art before!
I particularly
liked a section in the middle with a series of small set models. I did wonder how
actors moved on some of the more sets which had stairs and floors at odd
angles. Similarly how they would have worn some of the Cubist costumes. I began
thinking that was just the style of the drawing but a film of contemporary
restaging of a Malevich piece showed the actor in great boxy outfits!
It was
interesting to see Malevich reappear following the show at the Tate and the
current show at the Whitechapel which uses the Black Square as a starting
point. There is also a reference to him in the current show at the Saatchi
Gallery!
There were just
too many lovely images to pull out particular ones. This is a show that’s well
worth going to but be prepared to give it time!
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