March 28, 2019

What art is in the opera house?

Question

I attended a dance performance in March. My seat was located in "BAL LC." There was really interesting art hanging in the hallway. I'd describe the art as androgynous and maybe a bit dark. The artist used a lot of black and red in his or her drawings. I believe the artist's signature said, "Parsifal." I've been searching for more of his or her work but can't find a single trace. Can you tell me the name of the artist?

Answer

The sketches you were looking at were of some of the costumes from Lyric's production of Wagner's Parsifal (2013-14 season). Johan Engels, a native of South Africa, who created the sets as well as the costumes for that production, also designed the production of Weinberg's The Passenger that we presented in our 2014/15 season.

Mr. Engels passed away in 2014, to the great sorrow of all of us at Lyric. Before his death, he was able to complete his designs for Lyric's new production of the four operas of Wagner's Ring cycle. That production will serve as a remarkable memorial to his artistry.

I highly recommend exploring the website johanengels.net, which presents Mr. Engels's work over the years, showcasing his immense talent and providing a source for research and inspiration to future generations of stage design students.

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Photo: Dan Rest