Modern and contemporary scenography is the beginning of symbolism practiced by Gorden Crag and Adolphe Appia rejecting the methods of producing theatre that intend to depict objectively and respect reality, namely, reacting to realism. From them, scen...
Modern and contemporary scenography is the beginning of symbolism practiced by Gorden Crag and Adolphe Appia rejecting the methods of producing theatre that intend to depict objectively and respect reality, namely, reacting to realism. From them, scenography had the meaning of existing as an artist in charge of performing environment of theatre art as creative visual language interpreted by scenographers breaking from stage area that had existed as background function for performing dramatic art. The use of the term ‘Scenography’ was named by Josef Svoboda who succeeded and developed the idea of Crag and Appia, the concept of which was that it should create the overall environment of dramatic art in charge of visual expression such as stage, lights, costumes, props and make ups not that it exists as representation of place for performing dramatic art.
Realistic expressive style that scenography traditionally had shows modernity as extended idea from symbolic style, which accords with the features of modernism trend revealed in different time and space art such as literature, art, music, for that reason, the trend term ‘modernism of scenography’ is newly named in this study. The recovery of the mechanic facilities developed by war technology after the World War 2 progressed introduced in architectural designing of ravaged theaters, especially the hydraulic machine and electricity was used to build the active environment of stage setting. This made many stage technology need not physical labor of human any more and become modern and contemporary drama space that has sufficient physical condition for new and experimental expression of scenographer using kinetic energy.
Modern and contemporary scenography after war passed through incessant changing procedures taking experimental form of expression to overcome the limitation of traditional dramatic art and Achim Freyer and Robert Wilson who expressed scenography as non-verbal drama space without depending on text can be discussed. Achim Freyer opened painterly scenography that has distinct characteristics of time and space moving to drama space without stopping the painterly technique at visual performance of plane work. Robert Wilson did scenography of image theatre viewing letters in the text as image, drew scenes that came to mind for performing dramatic art, connected several paintings based on that drawings making overall drama situation composed of paintings.
Josef Svoboda and Robert Lepage extended form of expression of scenography adopting film language in performance considering drama space as language experimental place using film and cinematic technique. However, reacting expressive style emerged since the signs that acted as image to dramatic art and visual film language broke the linguistic essence and confused identity.
Jerzy Grotowski sought for direction of plays practicing ‘poor theater’ to remove subsidiary set up mentioning retheatricalization of plays, Peter Stephen Paul Brook also tried to find essential duty of plays practicing ‘holy theater’ believing the importance of empathizing human elements through language excluding unnecessary artificial set up.
Drama space created new stage language using media due to the development of science technology, and it can also be realized that text is replaced by performance text expressed on continuous time line not created in the hierarchial structure of dramatic art, escaping from the play, basic element of theatre. On the other hand, practiced style of ‘retheatricalization’ for the essence of theatre can be reviewed.
The features and potential of modern and contemporary scenography are classified into 3 categories based on the discussion about the expressive style of modern and contemporary scenography in this study.
First, extension of scenography through deconstruction a text.
The central axis of theatre from ancient, middle age till modern times has been text and narrative and the objective of scenography has been moving the meaning of written and verbal language to visual image. However, scenography is to pursue the new stage language of creative behavior re-interpreting the text through deconstruction of traditional literature structure. Also, the performance of scenographer creating actively reflecting contemporary lives is need.
Secondly, diversification of scenography expression through media.
The existential status of pure art is missing in post-modern society while the meaning is created and the context is reconstructed making relationship with different arts. Scenography at this time should create aesthetic value of new sense and extension of expression. For that purpose, it should adopt variety of expression accommodating and using developed technology through media.
Third, there is the dual aspect of scenography through returning to essence.
Modern and contemporary scenography diversifying needs to contemplate the style that practice the suggestive theatre focusing on the play and actors removing artificial elements since they caused confusion of essential identity of theatre. However, it is important to have attitude that can think dialectically accommodating base and diversification simultaneously through incessant research about the essence of theatre by individual scenographer not exclusively accommodating experimental media escaping from dichotomous thinking adopting only this kind of return to essence. As scnenographer should provide the vision that expresses human view of the world through the expression of scenographer of their own since dramatic art is ‘one type of window’ watching human being.