A never-before-seen animation from a world-renowned artist will be on show at a new exhibition at an opera house.
Staged Nature celebrates the relationship between theatre and nature at Glyndebourne through photographs, drawings and costumes shown together with new works by ten contemporary artists, including David Hockney.
On view in the exhibition are new paintings, etchings and photographs that explore the theme of staged nature, from sensual photographs of wildflowers by American artist Jocelyn Lee (courtesy Huxley-Parlour Gallery) to abstract memento mori by Jackson Prize-winning artist Miranda Boulton (courtesy Cynthia Corbett Gallery) and detailed collages by Andy Barker, former studio assistant to the great British painter Howard Hodgkin.
Other exhibiting artists include David Abbott, Charlie Barton, Michael Bishop, Michele Fletcher, Holly Loader, Lois Oliver and Agnes Treherne.
Featuring prominently in the exhibition is an animation of Glyndebourne and its gardens by David Hockney.
Hockney has long-standing connections to Glyndebourne, having designed his first opera production, Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress in 1975. Renowned the world over as the definitive staging of the opera, the production is back at Glyndebourne this summer for Festival 2023.
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Alongside these works are historic photographs of Glyndebourne’s gardens with stage designs and original costumes from productions of Don Giovanni and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, showing the many ways in which designers have replicated the outdoors on stage.
Nerissa Taysom, curator of exhibitions and collections at Glyndebourne, said: “Glyndebourne’s setting in the heart of the South Downs, surrounded by spectacular gardens, has long provided inspiration for artists.
“Drawing on this year’s productions, this exhibition presents dazzling contemporary works alongside treasured objects from our collection to explore how artists have been informed by the theatre of nature.
“We are particularly excited to be showing the animation by David Hockney, which in its own joyous way, celebrates Glyndebourne as a place where opera, landscape and art meet’.
Staged Nature will be available to view in Glyndebourne’s archive gallery by all ticket-holders to the 2023 Glyndebourne Festival between May 19 and August 27, by appointment and online at glyndebourne.com.
The exhibition will also be open to visitors on two family open days at Glyndebourne in September.
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