by Helen Musa
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| Kim Carpenter with his artwork |
EVERYBODY from Meryl
Tankard to Wendy Whiteley seemed to be on hand as actors, directors, designers,
stage managers, composers and writers crowded into the National Institute of
Dramatic Art on Sunday (September 8) to mark 30 years since Artist Kim Carpenter
founded his distinctive enterprise, Theatre of Image.
The company is well-known in Canberra, having appeared in
1990 for the National Festival of Australian Theatre in 1990 at the National
Gallery of Australia, “Swimming in light: The world of Lloyd Rees,” at the
Canberra Theatre Centre in 2015 with “Monkey: Journey to the West” and for
“Little Beauty,” the work commissioned by and performed at the National
Portrait Gallery in 2010 and 2018.
Those who hadn’t heard the news beforehand were dismayed to
hear that Carpenter and producer/executive director, Neil Hunt, were bringing
the curtain down on the company which, since first appearing at Brisbane’s
bicentennial event 1988 with “The Sky Wizard”, had brought top class visual
theatre to a generation of children, and quite a few adults too.
The celebration and farewell event, which included the
release of a 100 page commemorative book,
was opened by Amanda Morris the executive director, Conservatoire at
NIDA, where Carpenter, described as “a serial innovator,” had studied from the
age of 17.
Former Vice Chancellor at Macquarie University and the chair
of Theatre of Image for all but three years of its history, Professor Di
Yerbury, said Carpenter had been the first person to integrate film with
theatre and reminded the audience that in 2012, his production of “The Book Of
Everything” had been named by the “New York Post” as one of the best productions
of 2012.
In a video message from overseas, former long-time
ambassador for Theatre of Image, Hugo Weaving spoke of the impression the
company had made on his own children’s upbringing and of society at large.
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| Some of Kim Carpenter's designs for the Australian Ballet's "The Happy Prince," 2020. |
Theatre director Gale Edwards compared Carpenter to
international visual theatre exponents Philippe Genty and Robert Wilson, while
former administrator of the company, Lisa Hamilton, described how carefully
Carpenter had listened during a visit south to meet Arthur and Yvonne Boyd at
Bundanoon as he was preparing to stage his Boyd-themed work, “White Heat” at the
Art Gallery of NSW.
In a similar vein, author Gillian Rubinstein described the
caring way he had engaged with Sydney Roma community when he was staging, “The
Gypsy Boy.” (O Romano Chavo) even approving his minimalist approach to text.
“If Kim could get rid of the word, he would,” she suggested.
Whiteley praised Carpenter’s unique sensitivity to the
paintings of her late former husband Brett, seen in his preparations for the
multimedia production, “Brett & Wendy” which premiered at the Riverside
Theatres during Sydney festival this year— by no means, she said, to be
compared to the opera “Whiteley.”
As for Carpenter, visual theatre is alive and well and green
fields lie ahead as he says, “I see my future years dominated by my key gift –
drawing and painting to make pictures.”
Theatre of Image’s production of “The Happy Prince,” which
remained in its repertoire for 16 years, is in the process of being transformed
into a new ballet to be choreographed by Graham Murphy to a score by
Christopher Gordon and to be staged by the Australian Ballet in 2020.
And the R word?
“That’s a terrible word, ‘retirement’ – never,” he said.
To purchase a copy of
the 30th Anniversary Theatre of Image book email theatreofimage.com.au
A shorter version of this report appeared at citynews.com.au