{"id":7873,"date":"2012-11-23T15:39:10","date_gmt":"2012-11-23T20:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=7873"},"modified":"2012-11-23T15:39:10","modified_gmt":"2012-11-23T20:39:10","slug":"visual-art-a-blast-of-whimsy-from-rob-elliotts-sketches-for-an-opera-that-doesnt-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2012\/11\/23\/visual-art-a-blast-of-whimsy-from-rob-elliotts-sketches-for-an-opera-that-doesnt-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Visual art: A blast of whimsy from Rob Elliott’s sketches for an opera that doesn’t exist"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Emperor of Mexico gets a monarch butterfly caterpillar for ceremonial purposes (Rob Elliott illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eleven years ago, I met a young Toronto vistual artist called Rob Elliott, who had just opened a place called the Swizzle Gallery on what was then the Western edge of artsy civilization at College and Dufferin. The whimsy in his work is what I found the most endearing.<\/p>\n

Like many artists, Elliott has been chased out of the city by, among other things, its prohibitive rents. But the whimsy is still there.<\/p>\n

Back in February, I posted his visual response to the typical Toronto Symphony Orchestra audience here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now he is taking on opera in a new show that opens on December 1 in in the Denis Tourbin Gallery at the Niagara Artists Centre<\/a> in downtown St Catharines.<\/p>\n

Most of us won’t be able to leave town to see the sketches in person, so Elliott happily sent a sampling of his gouache-and-ink illustrations for what he calls Designs for an Unwritten Opera<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I leave the explanations in Elliott’s very capable hands:<\/p>\n

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The unwritten opera is oddly beginning to write itself. Themes are emerging, though they are so diverse only a Tales of Hoffman<\/em>-type of treatment would unite them.<\/p>\n

The two types of theatre design I enjoy most are either extremely baroque or “beggar’s operas.” With regards to the latter, I saw Tom Wilson’s production of Tom Waits’ The Black Rider<\/em> in Los Angeles and it was astounding. I also caught the Punch-and Judy like production of Shockheaded Peter<\/em> at the 2000 World Stage in Toronto.<\/p>\n

The lead in my imagined opera is a little known Habsburg emperor. While the Habsburg family has left a rich legacy of opera houses around Europe, their stories are scantly represented on the stage.<\/p>\n

Maximillian, a latecomer in the Habsburgs’ diminishing legacy, would make a great opera character. A naval officer and amateur botanist who was pressed by the French court as a figurehead to represent their interests in Mexico, Maximillian instead turned out to be a liberal reformer. In the face of forces fighting for a Mexican republic, he refused to abdicate the throne and was shot by a firing squad.<\/p>\n

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There’s also an underwater theme emerging, which might accompany Maximillian’s early life on the sea. I’m picturing a great aquatic ballroom scene, with the dancers wearing archaic deep sea helmets that give the figures a Henry Moore quality.<\/p>\n

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On another tangent, I have a whole forest idea emerging: Huntsmen, ogres, ancient trees. Undoubtedly, this is where my roots in British Columbia, Victorian history degree and love of “junk operas” is converging.<\/p>\n

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When I’m doing the forest stuff I’m often thinking of\u00a0“Who Will Love me Now?,” a song sung by PJ Harvey. The greatest ogre song ever. I was not surprised at all to discover it was written by a playwright and artist named Philip Ridley, whose work I want to explore deeper.<\/p>\n