Untitled

Donna Huddleston’s work builds on her strong foundation in draughtsmanship and stage design; she graduated with a Bachelor of Design from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney, and her film and theatre design credits include work on the sets of The Matrix and Moulin Rouge. The influence of performance and temporary spaces is clearly evident in ‘Untitled’ (2010): it is the second image produced in a body of work based around a musical performance that is played on the triangle, itself a re-interpretation of the performances of German Expressionist dancer Mary Wigman (1886–1973). According to the artist, it is ‘an exploration of the stage-craft techniques used to depict acts of magic, ritual and transformation’. Against a sparse backdrop of wooden arches, the two-headed figure at the centre of the composition holds a triangle and wand, which emit triangular projections that encompass flowers, layered colour-blocks and leaves. The soft palette and subtle gradations of watercolour and gouache reference hand-drawn visualisations of stage and costume design, while the knowing expressions on the theatrically made-up faces of the central figure suggest dramatic plots, secrets and transformations.