본문 바로가기
  • Home

The Relationship between Gordon Craig’s Stage Art Theory and Isadora Duncan’s Stage Art - Focusing on Isadora Duncan’s Stage Art -

김신일 1

1공주대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Based on the idea that the reality is superficial, symbolistic art aimed to express absolute metaphysical or mystical contents in suggestive ways. Craig, who aimed to achieve this, learned and applied technical principles which presents many lines in one stage in the stage art. Also, by raising a question about the actors’' excessive emotional attitudes, he suggested the super-marionette concept, claiming that this could achieve perfection in stage art. To dominate the technical aspects of stages’ 'components and composition principles, he suggested that pictorial expressions and the super-marionette concept are required in symbolism of stage art. Through this study, it could be learned that Craig’'s stage art theory goes together with Isadora Duncan, the pioneer of modern dance. Their stage art theories are interrelated as follows. First, they presented simplified objects by using formative qualities of flat surfaces. This enables the entire stage to look as if it is a big, long piece of a flat surface. They aimed to make anti-realistic art forms geometrical figures, to present as if their objects are moving. Moreover, the contrasts of shades created by forms of rectangular stone statues or stairs were used in clearly dividing the stage. Second, to enhance the dynamism of the stage art, they strictly adhered to using partial illumination. The two cylindrical beams in their works presented the actors’'three-dimensional qualities, and these cylindrical beams from the illumination system enhanced the visual effects from the images. Duncan and Craig had always dreamed of presenting this type of stages, expressing their strained and metaphorical inner world. To freely express the images in stage art, Isadora Duncan and Craig abandoned minor detailed descriptions and chose simplified the stage art decoration. Through suggestion using light, they displayed the theme of each piece, expressed basic characters of each object, and presented the autonomous properties of the art on the stage. They claimed that art should recover its essence, which can be achieved by gaining its basic inspiration through symbolistic stage art. Their artistic combination guides people to the metaphysical world and combines them in one order.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.