Risking the Void: The Scenography of Cameron Porteous
January 22 to April 4, 2010
The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre presented Risking the Void: The Scenography of Cameron Porteous, an exhibition designed and curated by Sean Breaugh and Pat Flood. This retrospective was a collaboration between Theatre Museum Canada, the L.W. Conolly Theatre Archives at the University of Guelph, and the Shaw Festival. It celebrated the creative spirit, vision, and influence of one of Canada’s most important scenographers whose work has had a major influence on the development of the art of theatre design in Canada.
Born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan in 1937, Cameron Porteous trained at the Wimbledon College of Art in London, England. After returning to Canada in 1969 he became Head of Design at the Vancouver Playhouse (1972) under Artistic Director Christopher Newton. This creative partnership continued when Newton became Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival and appointed Porteous as Head of Design (1980–1997).
Over his prolific career in theatre and opera design, Porteous has worked in most major theatres across Canada as well as designing extensively for film and television. His work combines an international perspective with a distinctly personal style of theatrical design which flourished during a robust period of Canadian theatre history. He led the way in expanding our view of design beyond traditional models, embracing perspectives from beyond our borders, and anticipating our modern multi-cultural and multi-media theatre. Porteous continues to work in theatre, film, and television and has influenced many emerging designers through his teaching, mentoring, and creative work.
Porteous’ numerous awards include a Canadian Centennial Scholarship for study in London, England and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian theatre. He has received the Dora Mavor Moore award for outstanding costume design for Cyrano de Bergerac and the award of excellence for costume design of The Three Musketeers at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. He served on the Canada Council’s Arts Advisory Panel from 1978 to 1981 and has taught design at the University of British Columbia, the Banff School of Fine Arts, and Ryerson University. In March 1996, he was the curator for the first All-Ontario Exhibition of Theatre Design and Architecture at the World Stage Festival and, in 1998, he was the curator for Prelude to Prague, the Canadian Exhibition for the 1999 Prague Quadrennial at the World Stage Festival at Harbourfront. Porteous’ designs have been exhibited in Toronto, Vancouver, and internationally at the Prague Quadrennial, as well as The Bolshoi Drama Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. Cameron Porteous is an honorary member of the Associated Designers of Canada.
Exhibition Opening
Friday, January 22 at 7 pm
Curator’s Talk with Pat Flood
Tuesday, February 2 at noon
Go to www.stagedesignporteous.ca for more events
Images:
Top, left to right:
-Rendering for Doctor Jedin
-Set Design for The Madwoman of Chaillot, 1986 (Director: Wendy Toye; Production: Shaw Festival)
-Rendering for Terese/Pauletta (The Madwoman of Chaillot), 1986 (Director: Wendy Toye; Production: Shaw Festival), Collection of L.W. Conolly Archives, University of Guelph.
Bottom, Left to right:
-Costume Rendering for the High Priestess (Julius Caesar), 1973 (Director: Christopher Newton; Production: Vancouver Playhouse), Collection of the L.W. Conolly Archives, University of Guelph
-Costume Rendering for Portia (Julius Caesar), 1973 (Director: Christopher Newton; Production: Vancouver Playhouse), Collection of the L.W. Conolly Archives, University of Guelph
The William & Nona Heslip Foundation