Sidelines | Theatre-related Designs1The tapestry designs were commissioned by the Victorian Arts Centre in early 1983. A year later, upon their submission, its Committee however – influenced by in-house intrigues involving the designer John Truscott, as Barry Kay observed, and ostensibly artistically illiterate – engaged in ever more abstruse discussions about the ideas he presented. Unable to reach a conclusion, the Committee eventually abandoned the use of his designs altogether. – See also Biography. |
Barry Kay's designs were intended as permanent installations in one of the foyers of the newly built State Theatre at the Victorian Arts Centre (since 2003 known as Arts Centre Melbourne), Melbourne. The four tableaux he created were to be hand-woven into tapestries. To harmonize his designs with their destined environment, he utilized monochrome vintage engravings to attain subtly homogeneous collage compositions illustrating the performing arts throughout the centuries. Created 24 February 1983 - 19 March 1984 |