Scenography in the Artistic Practice of Oleksandr Tsuhorka

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the experience of the leading Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Tsuhorka as a scenographer. Using the example of the ballet-legend ‘The Lord of Borysphen’, to identify artistic-semantic, figurative-compositional, historical-cultural components in the arsenal of his author’s scenography. Research methodology. The article uses a comprehensive approach that includes general scientific methods: empirical (observation, description), theoretical (analytical, historiographical, comparative, biographical), special (artistic and cultural). The comprehensive research approach allows us to determine the main constructive and figurative-compositional features of the scenography of the ballet ‘The Lord of Borysphen’ as a type of artistic activity that has its own history and rules of performance, in the implementation of O. Tsuhorka. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that it is the first time in Ukrainian art history that the experience of scenography by the Ukrainian artist O. Tsuhorka is considered as an important part of his multifaceted creativity. Conclusions. It is proven that scenography represents a separate direction of artistic activity, in which the practice of working with specific artistic material of a theatrical performance is implemented, which represents a synthesis of music, literature, directing, acting, spatial and colour visualisation. In the work on the ballet ‘The Lord of Borysphen’, O. Tsuhorka demonstrates professional mastery of all the requirements of scenography, knowledge of its history and features. The visual image of the performance is achieved by careful elaboration of scenery, costumes, props, lighting, which visualise the holistic artistic idea and concept of the production. In ideological terms, this is a conceptual understanding of national mytho-poetic and historical themes. The author’s approach of O. Tsuhorka allows us to determine the range of directions inherent in the artist as a whole. This is the coverage of key cultural and historical events of Ukraine, their artistic interpretation in the national spirit, an original version of the figurative and compositional presentation of historical themes by means of scenography. The transmission of national history and mythology occurs by transferring life events into a symbolic and figurative series in the characteristic ‘colouring’ of ballet dramaturgy. The idea of O. Tsuhorka as a production designer, realised through a specific theatrical atmosphere, helps actors interact with their surroundings, and the audience – to experience aesthetic uplift. Analysis of O. Tsuhorka’s development of the scenography of the ballet work ‘The Lord of Borysphen’ belongs to the successful implementations of his artistic practice, which opens another direction of his creative activity. Analysis of O. Tsuhorka’s scenography experience contributes to the further study of theatrical painting in the personalities of domestic artists – production artists, scenographers as co-authors of theatre directors.