Say the word "opera," and a string of flamboyant images spring to mind, from vivid stage sets to dramatic divas — unless it's the world of opera as seen through the singular gaze of artist Sophy Rickett.
Known for exploring the tensions between light and darkness, and the narrative and the abstract, Rickett sees the opera in a different manner: a geometric line of shadows rippling across a stage; an industrial bar of fluorescent lights vanishing into the vaults; a blank curtain billowing; the curved sweep of an empty row of seats. These are among the minimalist images captured in the 20-minute film "Auditorium," created by Rickett in collaboration with composer Ed Hughes. The film is one of a number of works being exhibited till May 16 at Tokyo's Nichido Contemporary Art (NCA) in Hatchobori for a solo show of the London-based British artist.
Made at the historic Glyndebourne opera house in Britain, "Auditorium" involved the artist shooting more than 70 hours of footage over 10 days and then paring down the results into a film that is as striking as an abstract painting. Using a split screen throughout, the artist focuses on the mechanics behind the magic of theater in order to create her own performance in the empty auditorium of Glyndebourne.