Research in Apparel and Fabric Design

As a final requirement in our Theatre class, a final theatre production must took place in order for us to
graduate. I remember the feeling of portraying a part in that ‘ultra- modern’ family setting. The acting
went well and we thought that the theatrical blockings and dynamics was on point, when out of the blue
our professor noticed something strange that should have not been there in the production set- up— it
was the baroque inspired chandelier hanging in the middle of the stage, in all its grandeur (a self-
defeating mistake of the ‘ultra-modern’ concept), in which aside from being a major prop, was also a
functional ‘character’ that changes the mood of a specific scene by manipulating the lighting design.
The whole crew was aghast and a surge of recollections from our previous discussions led us to an
essential concept— mise en scène.

So, what is mise en scène? Literally it means ‘staging of the scene.’ It is a concept adapted from theatre
and refers to anything an audience can see and hear on stage. While others might contest that mise en
scène originated in theatre, other fields adapted the concept to portray a sense of experience and
harmony in viewing, say a theatre production. In film for instance, director Wes Anderson often use the
concept of mise en scène in his unique usage of camera framing. He is a master of framing an object of
a shot, center of the frame, placing an incredible importance on the object. He also keeps the action of
the shot on the center of the frame which gives films like Rushmore and The Grand Budapest Hotel, a
sense of peace, balance and harmony given an odd one- point perspective. Baz Luhrmann on the other
hand, used mise en scène in his genius depiction of color composition in his movies. In, The Great
Gatsby the green light at the end of the dock symbolized a familiar feeling of longingness which is
parallelized to the emotion of the main character Mr. Gatsby, in his extreme yearning for Daisy which
he cannot obtain. In Moulin Rouge and the final dance scene of Strictly Ballroom, most of the costume
design was colored striking red which stimulate the viewers of excitement, passion and intensity which
sets the tone of his movies.
Having these previous encounters with the concept mise en scène, from theatre, literature and film is
somewhat different (a new art form) from the fabric gallery that we visited yesterday in AS Fortuna,
Mandaue. The show was entitled literally Mise en Scène a collection by Francis Dravigny with the
collaboration of brilliant and talented artists with the likes of Oj Hofer, Wayne Forte, Charles Lahti and
Artigal. From an observation of scenes outside of the proscenium/frame to the juxtaposition of a scene
to a fabric which can become an individual expression is a clean slate for me as an artist. Will the same
experiential expression emerge from the fabric? Will it still give a parallel narrative as to what the
‘original’ idea of mise en scène intended it to be? How can you ‘stage a scene’ on a fabric? By asking
these questions, I was compelled toward this particular piece to whom I think was interesting. The piece
is by Francis Dravigny made from Abaca, Leather, Lurex and is Hand Painted. To answer these
questions I will divide the concept of mise en scène, into two levels: (1) Visual Aesthetics of the
Fabric/Textile and, (2) Design Element of the Room/Space.
In terms of Visual Aesthetics the material formation of the art piece showcases the contrast between
leather (a protein based fibre), the hand painted abaca fabric (a cellulose based fibre) and Lurex
(synthetic fibre). Weaving together these contrasting materials, strip by strip and then putting them back
together like a jigsaw puzzle is a testament that the artist is definitely immersing his own mise en scène
into his creation. What also made the piece so intricately done is the framing in which there is no visible
fastening mechanism which for me is a sustainable art piece. Now, the narrative formation of the
material is what made the piece more interesting. Horizontal lines (leather) subconsciously give us a
feeling of tranquility and peace. However the repetition of the horizontal patterns somehow broke this
psyche because now it gives a sense of movement like an angry sea attempting to surge through the
naïve flowers in the art piece. There is also no focal point or emphasis on the art piece, but the
individuality of the flowers dictates the eyes to traverse into the piece meticulously by observing the
patterns, until every corner is observed all throughout the process. The narrative formation of the
material gives us also a glimpse on the personality and upbringing of the creator. While discerning on
the design, elements of Orientalism and Occidentalism is noticeable. There is a marriage between two
cultures (the influence of tropical and seasonal consciousness) of the artist being in France and Cebu.
From these collaboration of design elements show an experiential expression of the artist which
emanates to the viewers.
On the other hand, the design elements of a room/space is also important element in mise en scène. The
first time I entered the room, most of the art pieces was not lighted, including the piece of Dravigny. I
thought it was just a blank strips of black and white canvass suspended in a posh framing. Not until the
assistant switched on the spot lights which revealed the designs of tropical/oriental flowers and patterns
(The experience was like observing an invisible ink in UV light). The red ikebana composition beside
the art piece, on the other hand, complemented the whole composition being a 3 dimensional piece, an
exact likeness of most of the red flowers in the art piece. Definitely, elements in a room such as color
composition. Lighting, flower arrangement is part of ‘staging a scene,’ or defining a mood/ ambiance.
What the space lack was the influence of sound/music which could have added a design element of the
gallery.
Lastly, the piece is magnificent in its own right. Although I have some suggestions on the piece if given
the chance of attending a mise en scène event in New York. First, a post- modern approach on the
patterns or designs will give more depth on the art piece. Patterns should develop a sense of knowledge
or values systems that can be a product of political, historical or cultural discourses and hierarchies.
That is the peak of art, design and fashion, to help and assess cultural and social changes through trends,
perception on aesthetic values and other design principles. The artist attempted to modernize the piece
by experimenting on contrasting materials (leather, abaca and Lurex) maybe to impose a perceived ideal
perfection, harmony and function of form. Postmodernism is to get away with this ‘subjective
perfections.’ And also, a good sense of music/song will also add an element to the piece.