Theatre of the Oppressed

Untitled no. 7 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper
Photograph: Courtesy Mori Gallery

There are some who are in darkness
And the others are in light
And you see the ones in brightness
Those in darkness drop from sight

Bertolt Brecht

Untitled no. 9 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper
Photograph: Courtesy Mori Gallery



Untitled no. 10 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper
Photograph: Courtesy Mori Gallery

Untitled no. 13 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper
Photograph: Courtesy Mori Gallery

Untitled no. 6 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper

44 x 46 cm

Primarily this project has grown from recent readings of theatre theory that I have become interested in, and particularly in the ‘fourth’ wall of theatre (and to which Brecht’s theory of Verfremdungseffekt relates). This series of paper cutouts is based upon the content and narrative of John Gay’s play The Beggar’s Opera, and upon which Bertolt Brecht based his; The Threepenny Opera. The title of the series comes from the title of Augusto Boal’s pioneering text on radical drama; Theatre of the Oppressed. And following with these narratives and ethics the primary concern of the project pertains to social and class structures. Apart from the much acknowledged yet marginally implemented divide of socio-politics we experience between the first and third worlds it is concerned with the ever increasing gap between wealth and poverty in developed countries. And apart from questioning the Empirical domination of Western morality upon the non-West, there is also the re-occurring question of relevance within local borders. The increasing cuts to welfare, education, and health across Western states are impacting upon its citizens with a severity that greatly cuts across the reality of these many multi-cultured societies. One need only look to recent events in New Orleans, or the 17 years difference in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, let alone detention centres like Guantanamo Bay and Woomera to see that, thus more and more those in darkness are dropping from sight
Reading about this theatrical space – the imaginary wall that divides the audience/spectator from the theatrical action/play – seemed to me similar to the ‘ambiguous’ space that also occurs between artwork and audience. Essentially it is perhaps the gap between reality and imagination: the ‘space’ of representation. And essentially perhaps too, it is what leads us to the indefinable, the indescribable of all art forms, and perhaps it cannot be broken - for to break it would be to turn representation on its head, to make it real again.
This is the conundrum of the fourth wall – and/ or the choice to break it. For example; it is broken when the character on stage turns to you (the audience) and asks; Should I slay my brother?’ Or, Marry this woman? When the story ends, and becomes your problem, this is in a way a break of the fourth wall because it asks of you. To stop suspending your disbelief and believe that all action is real; and know all action is empowerment. It is the movement away from Plato’s cave wall, and into choice. For radical dramatists alike Brecht (and Boal) the belief lay that the audience had become a pacified and dumb mass, and theatre a form of suppression by the elite on the lesser – a weapon of bourgeois control. Such theatrical convention allows for a hollowed experience, and through which the ruling class will enforce their views, their laws and their beliefs, on the populace without question. Thus the essence lies in breaking down the rule of the theatre, and to make theatre again a social conversation. To bring around revolution.
Yet, to break this wall, does pose problematic, because as mentioned, it also breaks the magic between our real lives, and our potential hopes and dreams within our real lives (away from the dictates and laws of them) So can we still make art, if we turn around and force a response. Does not perhaps, the making of a play, the forming of sculpture exist because of some intangible space between audience and art work, a space that allows for multiple answers, multiple interpretations. This for me is empowerment: A space of permutation, of constant revolution and choice. And it is in this underpinning that I see once again the shadows of my works perhaps giving form to this ‘fourth wall’. A wall that need not be broken for an art work to question its audience. A wall that can be shared: where the shadow of the viewer falls into the shadow of the art work. And whereupon close inspection of the work, for example, your own shadow is cast within the object you regard. And thus both subject and object co-inhabit a space. Furthermore, akin to shadows, this wall shifts, it moves with the lights’ angles and strengths, with the movement of bodies; and poses therefore, between viewer and audience many questions, many possibilities.



Untitled no. 2 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper

61.5 x 30cm

From these thoughts I was introduced to Brecht’s renown The Threepenny Opera and that led me to its inspiration Gays The Beggar’s Opera, and from which in plot, setting and characterization there is little departure on Brecht’s behalf. Gay’s play was a revolutionary piece of theatre; both in content and form. In form, it was one of the first Ballad Operas – a form of comic opera developed during the 18 century - whereby spoken word was interspersed with familiar ballads and folk tunes which contained revised lyrics. In content it was a strong and direct parody of class and morality in England; directly satirising the corruption of the then Prime Minister Robert Walpole’s administration, and the degradation of society through its persuasive underworld of ‘respectable’ thieves, prostitutes and robbers.
When during the early 1920’s Brecht decided to transport this theatrical critique to the bourgeois and corrupt capitalist society he was amidst there was not much to alter: A few names in part, some extra characters to embody the change between aristocratic and capitalist society and thus modernize the comic opera. Teaming up with long time collaborator Kurt Weill, the pair wrote and composed some of the most memorable tunes and lyrics. (Think for of example of the ballad made famous by Billie Holiday; Mac the Knife. So famous, that it would have a taken a die-hard not to see the extreme irony when it was employed by the capitalist multi-national company McDonald's to promote their burger product The Big Mac!) And again, as much as Gay’s ballads (written with John Christopher Pepusch) were a lampoon against the highly popular Italian operas of their time, so to did Weill parody against current classical opera, and in particular Wagner.

Untitled no. 4 Theatre of the Oppressed, 2007
foil and cartridge paper

59 x 33cm

In terms of construct, The Beggar’s Opera utilizes a form of pastoral narrative to parody its subject matter. And in the metaphors of moths flying to flames, and roses blooming and wilting in time, there is a lyricism to Gays work, that is not evident in Brecht’s work, which is more direct and forcibly comic. In the humour that belies the strong critiques of both plays there is for me a greater pathos in Gay’s play, which is something that Brecht would not desire. Yet it is in Gay’s comical and florid descriptions I delight. It is this difference between the two versions of the plays that gave rise to the coloured components of the works. First, these rectangles serve to depict the theatrical references of the work: they are the walls of the stage from whence the action develops - they are the backdrops, the curtains, the flat spaces of animation. And it is from here that the characters tumble, protrude, ponder, or are pushed. Secondly they represent for me the difference in the versions. The deployment of pattern represents the pastoral images of Gay’s writing - a form of added metaphor and meaning – and in my cutouts a form to deploy cultural patterning and thus associated representation. The unadulterated blocks of colour refer to Brecht’s theory of theatrical presentation, of commonly flooding the stage with coloured lights, to force breaks and/or emphasise distance, thus the stage and actors would be drenched in single colours. Another Brechtian device was the use of projected images – where screens would be lit up with images from newspapers and newsreels, of happenings and events directly occurring at the time. Thus through quotation and media Brecht could add or subtract meaning to the action occurring on stage. This use of quotation thus also serves back into my own practice of cross-references, and so through the overlay of images new connections may be formed.
As discussed the ‘backdrops’ pertain to the imagery imbued in Gay’s writing. For my art works these are heavily drawn from a book on Chinese paper-cutting. By using such a specific source, and by addressing the obvious connections of my work to this craft form, was for me a way of affirming the visual artifice and voice of this project so heavily connected to theatre. Also, through the direct style and medium, I hoped to highlight that the dilemma of the ‘fourth wall’ is perhaps one of representation, and thus also lies in all art forms. Also this sourcing deals with my constant research into the ‘cross-overs’ within cultural signification, and so the metaphors of the English pastoral are here explicated through Chinese motifs. This too, is a reference to cultural hegemony and theatre, think for example of such operas like Madame Butterfly, and or the musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan.