Elynne Rosenfeld

Theater Space 1    acrylic on canvas       24″ X 24″     1988

From the beginning I have always been awed by theater spaces.
During elementary school assemblies I would stare at the layers of velvet curtains on the stage of that theater which doubled as a gymnasium when no performance was scheduled. Early trips to NY theaters and especially a trip to see The Flying Dutchman at the old Metropolitan Opera House shortly before it was torn down made a huge impression on my child mind. I noticed that all eyes rest on the focal point of the stage, while the seating, side boxed tiers and ceiling details all conspire to  converge onto this point.

And while all eyes rest on the stage, everything that occurs on that stage projects toward all who are focused on it. The resulting intense exchange of energy has much to do with the space’s design.

Several times over the years I have revisited the theater theme.
My theater spaces are abstract stages where what might occur or what might have already occurred is irrelevant.  They are about the point of convergence.  Here’s a 1976 drawing of an abstract figure spotlighted on an abstract stage.

Performer  pen and colored ink on paper. 8″ X 10″ 1976

From 1988 – 1990 I created a series of paintings entitled “Theater Spaces”. The featured painting at top is the first in the series. What is notable about it for me is that it is the first time I explored planes of restful flat color juxtaposed with areas of agitated texture (prior to that my work was 100% textured) It is the beginning of a shift in the way I paint. On a personal note, it seems significant now that the shift is also reflective of my new role as a mother. My son was born in 1988.