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CONTEMPORARY STAGINGS

„Contemporary Stagings“ is a mixture of modern one-shot photography, costume staging, live performance and digital post-production. The interpretation presented is based onextensive research into the period, with the intention of reflecting our present in the past and the past in our present.

ROCOCO

This project was realised in 2013 with a team of 6 people and 8 actors in the south of Austria. The preparation and planning of the series took 6 months. In an original rococo castle, 4 so-called one-shot productions were created in one day. We used the body language of our models, overall composition of the group, color psychology, made to measure costumes, lavish set designs, contemporary accessories and authentic locations.

Rococo I - Early Dance

Rococo II - Lavish Feast

Rococo III - Drinking Spree

Rococo IV - Drunken Revelry

Awards

CIDPAE – China International digital photography art gold award
PX3 Paris – Silver Award category Portrait
Art Basel Miami – young artist of the year award

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Prints

  • limited edition of 8 prints per artwork (+1 artist’s proof)
  • Artworks available in the size of your choice – from 90×50 cm to 195×110 cm
  • fine art gallery print
  • signed
  • with vintage frame

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Behind the Scenes

1. Reconstruction as interpretation (research)

The respective periods are studied in detail in collaboration with a selected team of experts. Original locations, custom-made historical costumes, accessories and every detail are precisely worked out and organised for the contemporary staging.

2. Making history tangible (sketching)

Based on the existing backgrounds, the number of actors, the planned choreography and the staging, sketches are created incorporating various image composition rules.

3. Focus on the human being (performance)

Using innovative photography and lighting, ‘one-shot stagings’ are created. Elements such as the actors’ body language and gaze are rehearsed with each actor individually and implemented under guidance and direction with everyone present.

4. The final touch (digital painting)

The post-processing of the works is an important part of the process and takes quite some time. The colour intensity, contrasts and much more are tailored to the subject and digitally painted over with the help of graphic tablets and pressure-sensitive pens.

5. Print becomes communication (printing process)

State-of-the-art printing processes are used for the canvas prints. The impact of the artwork is heightened by the intense colours and the depth these create,
as well as by the finely grained surface.

6. The frame enhance the work of art (framing)

The frame serves as a stage for the image and thus puts the content in the foreground. It is the spatial separation from its surroundings that optimally sets the scene for the work of art as a whole.

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Special thanks to the participating artists

costumes: Bettina Dreißger
styling: Ulrike Dominco & Susanne Malik
research: Klaus Koiner
postproduction: Philipp Schulz
assistents: Tobias Lange
location: Rococo Castle Stainz
models: Anita Zotter, Stefan Gostischa, Karin Wolf, Gerhard Angerer, Uschi Binder, Fred Wallisch, Bettina Dreißger & Klaus Koiner

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Interested? Send me an email to info@mathiaskniepeiss.com