Cruising wonderland: Queer reparative aesthetics within scenographic photography
Scenography lecturer, Dr Sean Coyle, reinstitutes the Theatre Programme's regular research seminars with his interdisciplinary exploration of 'scenographic photography' to be presented via Zoom.
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Description
This presentation explores Sean Coyle’s practice-based research project completed in 2018 as part of his PhD at the University of Tasmania. As practice-based research, it examines how traditionally representational forms of photography and scenography can inform each other through the more performative mode of ‘scenographic photography’: an interdisciplinary neologism operating between the performing, spatial and visual arts.
Influenced by performance design, in which scenography operates within an expanded field, this new presentational mode impacts on the creation and exhibition of photography: calling upon the audience to abandon familiar means of experiencing and engaging with the conventional gallery setting. An exploration of the varying modalities of presentation, representation and re-presentation, as well as viewing, witnessing and experiencing, leads to new visceral and embodied engagement between spectators and art by encouraging audiences to move through and pause within deliberately staged environments: to cruise wonderland.
Speaker Bios
Dr Sean Coyle is a performance designer, photographer and scenography lecturer at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. He was previously Head of School at the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA) in Auckland. He has been a designer for theatre throughout New Zealand and Australia for nearly 30 years.
For more information contact: Dr Sarah Thomasson
sarah.thomasson@vuw.ac.nz