Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Performing, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2
Master of Dramatic Literature, Department of Theater, Faculty of Fine Arts, Iran University of Art, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Directors can utilize different ways of developing ideas through overlapping arts and ideas in order to improve performance methods. Ideas are developed based on the play (or the narrative), the puppet, and the atmosphere. According to ideation-based atmosphere, this research explores the ways of developing ideas grounded on surrealistic paintings by Rene Magritte. The question is whether it would possible to create puppet theatre through the atmosphere of paintings. This paper explains the characteristics of the surrealism movement and surrealistic paintings as well as five elements containing dreaminess, fiction, fantasy, exaggeration and satire; and the semantic characteristics of puppet theatre such as fantasy, symbolism, enlargement and lessening or simplification. Subsequently a typology of three developing the ideation-based methods for puppet theatre will be examined. After introducing the characteristics of Magritte's paintings and declaring their overlap with the characteristics of puppet theatre, three works of Magritte are idealized according to the mentioned properties. Developing ideas in accordance with the atmosphere in addition to its interdisciplinary nature, will present more interpretative options for making puppet theatre. Paintings of Rene Magritte with its surrealistic atmospheres and the surrealistic compositions could help the process of puppet theatre creation. Puppet theatre artists need a text, a puppet or an atmosphere and Rene Magritte's works help from this perspective. For example, places have an important role is creating and showing the narrative. Rene Magritte created special places through his painting. The works chosen for this research are Golconda (1953), Personal Values (1952) and Portrait of Stephy Langui (1961). The Golconda portrays many men with black overcoats and hats. They are hanging in front of classic buildings. These men are the same. Some of the art historians have argued that this painting reveals Rene Magritte' mind about bourgeoisie, feminism, or capitalism. The Personal Values shows an odd bedroom which contains oversized objects such as a very big comb, a very big glass, and a very big soap. These objects are close to a little bed and a normal closet. The walls of this bedroom show some white clouds on the blue sky. The Portrait of Stephy Langui shows two little men by a calm sea and a very big and beautiful and young woman's head who is looking at the two. There is a giant stone in the corner of this painting. This is an unconventional portrait. This research reveals that this artistic technique will be possible through the art of painting art, especially the surrealistic. There are similarities between the characteristics of surrealistic paintings and puppet theatre. The companionship of reality and imagination is a characteristic that the art of painting and the art of puppet theater both have in common. So puppet theatre artists can use surrealistic paintings for developing ideas and puppet theatre creation.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)