Gerard Gauci in his studio
In less than two weeks the AGO’s major summer show, Drama & Desire: Artists and the Theatre, opens to the public.
Gerard Gauci, guest designer for the exhibition, has created a theatrical environment that brings the artworks to life with recreations of eighteenth and early twentieth century stage sets, sound and light effects, theatrical props and on-site performances.
“Visitors to Drama and Desire will experience the exhibition as audience members, actors and even stage hands,” says Gauci. “Designing this exhibition has been like designing an opera with an overture, a series of distinct acts, special effects and a grand finale.”
Gauci is not new to the AGO. He began his theatre career in 1986 designing and painting the sets for Opera Atelier’s first fully staged production in the Gallery’s Walker Court as part of the exhibition Vatican Splendours. Resident set designer for Toronto’s “Opera Atelier” – a period performance opera company that is respected around the world for its lavish productions of operas from Monteverdi to Mozart – he uses his extensive knowledge of early stage techniques and modern stage craft.
Gauci is known in Toronto as an illustrator, painter and theatre designer. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design, he created familiar poster images for local cultural institutions such as the Canadian Opera Company, The National Ballet of Canada and The Toronto International Film Festival.
As a fine artist he has for many years exhibited his paintings at the Leo Kamen Gallery in Toronto and the Galerie de Bellefeuille in Montréal.
Stay tuned for more!
You might also like:
- Drama and Desire: Gerard Gauci on Edgar Degas’ “Dancer with Bouquets” (Audio)
- Behind the scenes of Drama and Desire: Artists and the Theatre
- Behind the Scenes: Live Performances in Drama and Desire
- Sneak Peak: Stage Props and Theatrical Effects in Drama and Desire (Video)
- Drama and Desire: “Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth” by John Singer Sargent