Art Researches

THE THEATRE PERFORMANCES OF THE THEATRE ACADEMY IN THE WORK OF BORIS LOKTIN AND PARNAOZ LAPIASHVILI

Irma Dolidze — 2024-05-20

The Shota Rustaveli State University of Theatre and Film of Georgia has turned 100 years old.

This important event is the subject of the present study, which is concerned with researching the collection of sketches of theatre performances kept in the university museum. These theatre performances were created for and on the stage of the university, formerly the theatre school. Several articles have already been written as part of this research - both on the collection as a whole and on individual artists (painters) such as Alexandra Tevsadze, Irina Sternberg and Dimitri Tavadze. The present article is a continuation of this research. The aim of the article is to enable the use of these sketches for scientific purposes and to publicise the work of such stage painters as Parnaoz Lapiashvili and Boris Loktin.

The collection of sketches includes about 300 pieces and represents sketches of theatre performances - diploma works and annual works of the theatre school. The sketches were created by well-known painters of the 20th century who have gone down in the history of Georgian scenography: Irine Sternberg, Dimitri Tavadze, Givi Tseradze, Boris Loktin, Parnaoz Lapiashvili, Alexandra Tevsadze, Ivenhoe Chelidze, Tinatin Heine and others. Over the decades, these painters have created the stage sets for performances at the theatre school. Two of them are the focus of this article - Boris Loktin (in the years 1940-1950) and Parnaoz Lapishvili (in the years 1951-1972).

Boris Loktin (1903-1985) started working at the theatre school immediately after its restoration in 1939. In the years 1938-1950 he was a stage painter at the Al. Gribojedov theatre in Tbilisi. He also worked with the Russian theatre troupe of the Tbilisi Youth Theatre. B. Loktin was associated with the theatre since his youth. In 1920 he began working as an assistant to the director and set designer. From 1927 he worked as a set designer in theatres in various cities (Grozny, Taganrog, Kaluga, Ashkhabad, Yaroslav, Tbilisi, etc.). In 1950 he was awarded the title of Honoured Painter of Georgia, in 1950 - the title of Honoured Painter of Russia.

In the years 1940-1950, B. Loktin made decorations for 22 theatre productions at the theatre school, the sketches of which are kept in the museum: for A. Arbuzov's and A. Gladkov's “The Immortals” (1944), M. Gorky's “The Last” (1947), P. de Beaumarchais' “Marriage of Figaro“, (1947 and 1951), J. Jaluner’s “Pleasant Care” (1950), K. Simonov’s “Shadow of the Other” (1950), A. Lavrenjov’s “The Voice of America” (1950), A. Ostrovsky's “Guiltless Guilt” (1950).

According to the programme booklets, Boris Loktin also created the stage sets for the following performances: W. Shakespeare's “Much Ado About Nothing” (1940-41),

Brunstein's “Sky-Blue and Pink” (1941-42), A.Ostrovsky's “A Stupidity Makes Even the Cleverest” (1943-44), M. Gorky's “Petit Bourgeois” (1944-45), C. Goldoni's “La locandiera”/”Mirandolina”/” The Mistress of the Inn“ (1945-46), F. Pyat’s “Le chiffonnier de Paris” (1945-46), A. Safronov's “In a City” (1947-48), J. Fučík's “Reportage written under the rope” (1947-48), M. Gorky's “Vassa Zheleznova” (1948-49), V. Sobko's “Behind the Second Front” (1949-50), M. Gorky's “Children of the Sun” (1949-50) and others.

He had a great friendship with the director G. Tovstonogov. The two created many theatre productions together at the theatre school, such as “The Gossipers”, „Much Ado about Nothing“, “Sky-blue and pink”, „Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man“ , „The Philistines“, „The Mistress of the Inn“.

The stage design created by B. Loktin for theatre performances reflects the tendencies of the art of the 40s and 50s of the 20th century, which consisted in presenting the stage design as close to reality as possible. This tendency was much more pronounced in the 1940s, but did not lose its relevance in the 1950s. Everyday life took root on the stage and the theatre took on a prosaic character.

In 1950 B. Loktin moved to Vladivostok. There he worked as a leading painter at the

Gorky Theatre. In total, B. Loktin created stage designs for more than 300 theatre performances, including stage designs for theatre performances at the Tbilisi Theatre Academy, which he had created over the course of 20 years.

In 1950, Parnaoz Lapiashvili (1917-1994) began designing sets for performances at the theatre academy. At this time, he was already a versatile painter with a broad creative palette. He worked in theatres and opera houses. He created stage sets for opera and ballet performances, as well as for film. He holds the title of Honoured Artist of Georgia.

Lapiashvili began working in the theatre in 1940, while still a student. After working at the Marjanishvili Theatre (1943-1945), he was the leading stage designer at the Rustaveli Theatre (1946-1968) and at the same time he created stage designs for performances at the Theatre Academy.

He entered the theatre school in the academic year 1950-1951 and his first work was the set design for the theatrical performance of I. Popov’s “Family” (1951). P. Lapiashvili had also previously worked on this play at the Rustaveli Theatre. The sets are almost identical.

According to the repertoire programmes of the University Theatre, P. Lapiashvili created stage sets for the following performances in 1951-1972: A. Afinogenov's “Mashenka” (1951), A. Ostrovsky's “A Profitable Position” (1952), M. Gorksi's “The Last Ones“ (1953),

Gabeskiria's “Spring Morning” (1954), A. Ostrovsky's “Late Love” (1955), Jean-Paul Sartre's “Lizzie Mackay” (1956), M. Baratshvili's “My Flowerland” (1961), L. Chubabria's “The Servant of Three Masters” (1971), for operetta concert evenings - J. Offenbach’s “La Périchole”, I. Kalman’s “The Violet of Montmartre”, J. Miljutin’s “Chanita’s Kiss”, Fr. Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” (1972).

Of these performances, the collection contains sketches from the years 1951-1956 for the theatre performances “Mashenka”, “The Last Ones”, “Late love”, “Spring morning”, “Lizzie Mackay”, “The Family”.

In P. Lapiashvili's pencil sketches and designs, you can see the artist's approach to the characters of the main figures and the search for the right and appropriate solution for the entire set. He works tirelessly on the variations, versions and every detail. Only then does he create a unified stage set from his work - a sketch of visual art.

Sketches created by P. Lapiashvili in the second half of the 1950s bear witness to the upheaval in his work. The new way of reinterpreting painterly tasks is accompanied by the “rehabilitation” of the specific essence of theatre art, as a reaction to “naturalism”.

Lapiashvili continued to work on stage sets for theatre productions at the theatre school in the 1960s. At that time, he was a well-known stage designer throughout the Soviet Union. In 1967 he was awarded the title of People’s Artist of Georgia.
Lapiashvili made a very special contribution to the history of Georgian scenography. He created the sets for more than 100 theatre performances in Georgia and in theatres in other countries. The sketches for the performances at the theatre school are also an inseparable part of the work of this special artist.

The sketches of theatre performances created by Parnaoz Lapiashvili and Boris Loktin, which are kept in the museum of Shota Rustaveli State University of Theatre and Film, are of great artistic value not only for the century-old University of Theatre and Film, but also for the history of Georgian art of theatre painting of the 20th century.

EDUCATIONAL THEATRE

Tamar Kutateladze — 2024-05-20

The article describes the process of emergence and evolution of theatre teaching in Georgia. The study of teaching processes begins with the functioning of short-term “courses” that existed before the first professional school was established.

These courses /G. Eristavi/ provided study training and informal knowledge to future and actively working actors. It was precisely these courses that formed the basis for the training of qualified, uncom- promising professionals who consciously recognised their national cultural values. In this field, the role of the school theatre led by Giorgi Eristavi and Lado Meskhishvili was ex- tremely important. The article underlines the history of the development of the professional theatre school, which is closely linked to the development of the directing profession. In this context, it is worth mentioning that Giorgi Jabadari (1918) and later Akaki Paghava made a great contribution to the education of professional theatre cadres with their studies. The article devotes considerable space to the creation of Akaki Paghava's studio, in- cluding the establishment of the Theatre Institute. The role of teachers of directing - the great Georgian directors Kote Marjanishvili and Sandro Akhmeteli, the rector of the theatre institute of the great actor Akaki Khorava - is also highlighted. The principles and ethical standards set by him are specifically emphasised, etc.

The article mentions all the important theatre performances that were prepared and per- formed on the stage of the Teaching Theatre. These performances created the basis for the emergence of new theatres. For example the “Theatre of the 11th Auditorium” founded by director Mikheil Tumanishvili as a pedagogue, the “Metekhi Theatre” founded by Sandro Mrevlishvili and others.

The article also mentions the establishment of the Chair of Artistic Speech Education under the leadership of Maliko Mrevlishvili and Babo Nikolaishvili.

One of the greatest achievements of the Theatre Institute/Theatre School is the estab- lishment of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts and its successful operation under the leadership of Tamaz Chiladze and Irakli Samsonadze. Mention should also be made of the popular youth performances on the stage of the “Teaching Theatre” in the renovated hall of the former “Spartacus” film theatre.

The article pays great attention to the analysis of theatre performances (“The Diary of Anne Frank”, “Bird of Paradise”, “Fear Number One”, “Six Actors Search for the Author”, “The Salem Witch Trial”, “Antigone”, “The Pillowman”, “Lysistrata” and others. ) by well- known directors, teachers and their students who also worked at the theatre school (Gior- gi Tovstonogov, Lili Iosseliani, Mikheil Tumanishvili, Gizo Jordania, Temur Chkheidze, Shalva Gatserelia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, Giorgi Shalutashvili, Nanuka Khuskivadze, Maia Doborjginidze, David Tarba, Tata Tavdishvili, Gega Gagnidze and others.

These theatre performances are an inseparable part of the learning process and their analysis and study testify to the creative, professional and pedagogical achievements and accomplishments of teachers, students, directors and actors.

CHOREOGRAPHY IN GEORGIAN DRAMA THEATRE

Khatuna Damchidze — 2024-05-20

Theatre is a synthetic art with all its components. Choreography is also a synthetic art - it is characterised by plasticity, movement and combinations of movement. The music and the content (the libretto or oral poetry in folklore) combine the whole into a unified organism. Choreography is integrated into a play with all its components, although in this case it should follow the basic element of the drama, and in this way the body of synthetic theatre consisting of many components is created in the form of the drama.

Choreography in theatre performance is a hitherto unexplored field. Choreography plays an important role in the creation and existence of a theatre play and ensures the content and visual presentation of the performance. In this article, we are interested in researching those choreographers who have participated in the epochal changes and development trends of theatre art in Georgia since the beginning of the 20th century.

As it turned out, the topic to be explored is quite comprehensive. Based on this, we have limited ourselves to the representation of the choreographic aspects in the drama studio of Giorgi Jabadari, as well as in the work of the directors Alexandre Akhmeteli and Kote Marjanishvili.

Giorgi Jabadari’s studio (1918-1920) was founded to develop synthetic theatre and universal actors. The same idea inspired the directors Al. Akhmeteli and Kote Marjanishvili were inspired by the same idea. G. Jabadari had gained his professional experience in France and other European countries and he applied this experience in Georgia.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Georgian theatre paved a new way - it changed from comedy and vaudeville theatre to the European aesthetics of European theatre. In this theatre, choreography was not only a part of the performance, but an organic part of it, and in some cases, choreography even became the language of the performance. In the Jabadari theatre, dance and the plasticity of the actors played a major role.

The beginnings of Georgian professional stage choreography were marked by: S. Vakarez, M. Bauer-Sachs, V. Benderovich-Jghenti, Alelov, Overloo, in the field of Georgian dance - El. Cherkesishvili.

Choreography occupies a special place in the work of Al. Akhmeteli's work. Two moments are highlighted: 1. the development of plastic skills in actors, 2. the transformation of choreography into an inseparable part of the theatre performance. When determining the professional suitability of the actors, the director assumed that the actor of the new era should be capable of the art of dance, he should be in control of his body and be elastic, gifted with a “spark”. Accordingly, the theatre performance would be spirited and “effervescent”.

Considering that in the work of Al. Akhmeteli's work was based on the idea of fusing the heroic and the romantic, it becomes clear why the director made the idea of the national theme and, accordingly, the national aesthetics the main motif of the theatre’s development. The new theatre sought new means everywhere - both in rhythm and in plasticity. Added to this was the sharpness of the psychological image of the characters in heroic theatre. For Al. Akhmeteli, the new image of the Georgian was the basis for heroic theatre. The theatre was to become a forge, a kind of laboratory in which an exemplary hero was to be created for the Georgian spectator.

Al. Akhmeteli was often the author of choreographic compositions himself. In his theatre productions: “The Rift”, “The Robbers - In Tyrannos”, “Tetnuldi”, “Anzori”, “Salome”, “Bertrand de Born”, “Other Times Now”, “Lamara”, “Berdo Zmania” - the following choreographers worked on the dances and choreographic scenes alongside Al. Akhmeteli, the following choreographers worked on the dances and choreographic scenes: on “Salome” - N. Begtabegov, on “Anzori” - D. Dmitriev, I. Sukhishvili.

Kote Marjanishvili’s theatre performances were distinguished by their musicality (by the abundance of music). K. Marjanishvili wrote that he provided almost every performance with a musical accompaniment, thus achieving the effect that the text of the actors acquired a completely different sound, rhythm and intonation. K. Marjanishvili’s rehearsals were also accompanied by music; the composer always had to be present at rehearsals.

The very first chord set the tone for the beginning of the rehearsal and for the entire theatre production. In K. Marjanishvili's theatre performances, the music was not a background or staffage, but was organically interwoven into the stage work like an invisible acting person. Together with the music, the choreography formed the eloquent language of the stage work. K. Marjanishvili was particularly fond of pantomime (mimodrama), where choreography played a decisive role.

It can be seen from the edited sources that K. Marjanishvili developed a practice of collaboration with choreographers in drama theatre. His creative collaboration with the choreographer David Machavariani proved to be particularly fruitful - D. Machavariani not only created the choreography for K. Marjanishvili’s performances, but also composed the music.

Of Kote Marjanishvili's stage works, the following should be emphasised:

“Fuente Ovejuna” (1928) - on the premiere poster the name of the choreographer was

Futlin, in the programme booklet - S. Sergeev.

“Mseta-Mse” (1926) - according to the memoirs of Tamar Vakhvakhishvili (the composer), K. Marjanishvili's assistant Valentina Venderovich (who worked as a teacher of rhythm and plasticity) and ballet master Alberti worked on the theatre performance of “Mseta-Mse”. It can be assumed that the choreographer of the first performance of “Mseta- Mse” was S. Sergeyev.

“The Fire” (1929) - according to T. Vakhvakhishvili, choreographer David Machavariani worked on the renewed pantomime.

“Beatrice Cenci” (1930) - choreographer David Machavariani, “Hitting the mark” (1928) - choreographer David Machavariani, “Oops, we're alive! “ (1928) - choreographer David Machavariani, “Yes, but!” (1930) - choreographer David Machavariani,

“The Worker Solnes” - it is not possible to find out exactly who the choreographer was - it is only stated that it was a ballet master from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, “Khatije” (1930) - choreographer David Machavariani,

“Uriel Acosta” (1929) - choreographer David Machavariani,

“Maskota” - choreographer S. Sergejev,

“The Game of Interests” - choreographer S. Sergejev.

The synthetic collaboration between directors and choreographers gave the Georgian drama theatre at the beginning of the 20th century its characteristic features. All this played an important role in the development of the peculiar colouring of Georgian drama theatre.

IMAGE AND PICTORIALITY

Lia kalandarishvili — 2024-05-20

This article deals with the characteristics and peculiarities of the means of film expression - as well as the significance of other art genres in the process of the formation of film art.

The article begins with the well-known questions in film aesthetics, which were considered universally valid at the earlier stage of the emergence of film art - Is film an art? Is it possible to name film and cinematography alongside such artistic genres as theatre, music, visual arts and literature? How does film differ from them? What is its peculiarity, its peculiarity of interpreting, showing and depicting reality in a way that is characteristic only of film? Does film have any independence at all? Perhaps it only creates secondary illustration and makes use of other artistic genres - the language and imagery of literature, theatre, choreography, music, painting, perhaps it imitates them? This question was fair, because the young art could not immediately realize its place among the already existing art genres. The art of film emerged as a unique technical achievement, as a new possibility and ability without a specific objective, without its own experience.

In the next stage of its development in the search for independence, the art of film was particularly subject to the influence of an artistic genre whose creative processing and mastery lent it a new, different quality and depth. From the very beginning, film imitated theatre art in a striking and clumsy way. It attempted to transfer the expressive means and language of the ancient art of acting to the screen - well-known dramas, including Shakespeare, were filmed, but as silent films, and with the meagre means available to film at the time. The fable could only be depicted on the screen in rough outlines and by way of suggestion. This practice proved to be successful, and the nascent art of film thus gained a fruitful experience. Notwithstanding the conspicuous naivety and simplicity, there were ardent supporters and protectors of the art of film. Ricciotto Canudo, one of the first film theorists, saw the perspective of film precisely in its “borrowed” unique meaning, in the synthesis of seven artistic genres. In addition to the special appreciation of “synthesis”, Canudo also emphasized the concrete uniqueness of film imagery: “moving images”, plastic art that develops according to the laws of rhythmic art.

Based on the visual nature of film, the film image became the focus of attention of filmmakers - the world depicted by the painter or artist - film as a visual world fits into the familiar order of aesthetics, the compositional structure, the laws of perspective, the coloristic conception, sharpness, choice of view, and everything that creates the impression of depth and the illusion of reality on the flat screen. The depiction of the visual arts in the film speaks of the important role of the artist, pointing to the artistic contribution made to the film, which enhanced the expressive quality of the cinematic art. It is clear that film is not a fine art and that film is not created by the inspiration of the painter, but by the creative

inspiration of other authors - the playwright and director - according to their predetermined conditions.

In relation to film, photography - one of the immediate predecessors of cinematic art - uses the same principle as the visual arts. Photography has far more in common with film art than any other art genre. However, the most important difference remains the same and is further emphasised by the frame of the paused moment. The uniqueness of film art, however, lies in its changeability: in the aesthetics and significance of the transition from image to image, from sound to sound, from expression to expression, from word to word, from emotion to emotion, from movement to movement ... Music, choreography, photography, the actor, the subject - everything is in motion. Just like in reality. The photographic image cannot simply be compared to a film image, it is a completely different image - with a different expression and content: as already mentioned, the essence of photography is the existence of a single moment, perfect in itself, even if the image expresses infinity and is thus captured for eternity. In contrast, the film image represents movement, in all its diversity and changeability. For the film image, a picture can become an inconspicuous temporary fragment, but it can also be interpreted as a symbol.

The world does not exist as a static, frozen entity with an immobile content. Accordingly, our eyes are better able to perceive movement than immobility. The eyes recognise objects from the background, they see changes, differences and connections between objects, changes in time, spatial changes. The result of many attempts is the following - the film should learn to speak its own visual language and transform the image into a cinematic pictoriality.

The article examines some examples of the search for cinematic pictoriality: by Mikhail Kalatosishvili, Tengiz Abuladze, Jos Stelling, George Smith, James A. Williamson, Joan Miró and others.

SURREALISM AND REIFICATION IN AMERICAN EXPERIMENTAL FILM

Giorgi Razmadze — 2024-05-20

In Marxist literature and film theory, one can often find critical discussions about capitalist production and the struggle of critical theorists, such as Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer from the Frankfurt School, who attempt to uncover the purpose of industrial cinema, particularly Hollywood, which experienced significant growth in the 1930s. After the emergence of American film companies, Hollywood's influence in cinema has continued to rise.

The semantics and structure of cinema have changed significantly. Cinema has separated itself further from the language and culture of the dominant literary works and even from the cultural norms that had been shaping codes and content for centuries, essentially reformatting and legitimizing political and economic forms.

Modernist cinema may be seen as the result of a struggle, not only against parliament but against ideology itself, in the most significant cultural field. Avant-garde movements were involved in political activities, and their escapism found a parallel in the form of dominant social norms. Political participation, however, was not exclusive to the avant- garde; for instance, Filippo Marinetti, the leader of the Futurists, founded a political party. Yet, he, along with André Breton, the leader of the Surrealists, eventually drifted apart from their respective political ventures.

Capitalism dominated the 20th century's ideology, even though it continued to be a vague presence in the early days, striving to establish the first forms of capital accumulation in the realms that are now rapidly growing. This kind of struggle is exactly what was witnessed in cinema when sound emerged—the system that conveyed the logic of commercial production. The recognition of capitalistic systems in cinema continued in the 1930s, particularly during the emergence of sound and its important influence on content and narrative.

Georg Lukács' concept of the reification of Marxism is not a mere reiteration of Marxist economic principles but rather encompasses social and cultural aspects. According to Marx, when we enter into relations with commodities, we enter into social and cultural relationships. "Marxism and Class Consciousness" by Lukács argues that social relationships embody the same logic in the realms of economic and cultural relationships, forming a unified structure. Therefore, every created object and commodity represents this unity.

According to Roland Barthes, "A press photograph is a message." He insists that beyond the act of taking a photograph, the selection, the organization, the text, the retouching, and various human activities must be performed to deliver it. Each creation is engaged in multiple people and contexts. The message of press photography is not reality but the dominant discourses of ideologies and concepts. By recognizing this relationship between creation and cultural context, we can avoid focusing on reality but rather on the dominant discourse of realism with respect to its reiteration.

Joseph Cornell, an early proponent of reification, understood André Breton's manifesto and reification theory very well. He was among the first to translate the concept of "found footage" into the more academically distributed term "collage film" technique, thus establishing the practice. Cornell also marketed films in second-hand shops, a practice that was distributed at the time.

Joseph Cornell's college film marketing practices played a crucial role in establishing the first cinema collections in Paris. This is how the initial cinema collection was distributed, which was widespread practice at the time. This method allowed the first cinema collection in Paris to be distributed and practised widely.

Cornell's most famous work is the film "Rose Hobart" (1936), which falls into the category of avant-garde films. In this film, Cornell took inspiration from Rose Hobart, an actress, to create a film that can be seen as a landmark in American avant-garde cinema. This film presents a unique combination of elements that could be considered a part of the Neo- avant-garde and is seen as a significant contribution to American avant-garde cinema. It even has parallels with European avant-garde films and elements found in the collaborative works of artists like Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. The surrealist and abstract technique of re-editing, which was prominent in the work of Cornell, involved creating new objects from found materials.

"Rose Hobart" is a film that doesn't rely on a traditional plot. Instead, it offers a surrealist representation of objects, associations, and the desires of the actress Rose Hobart. It's a film where the emphasis is on the expression of these elements, rather than a concrete storyline.

In "Rose Hobart," Cornell recontextualizes found footage to create a new narrative. It's a unique and influential film that showcases Cornell's ability to transform existing materials into a completely distinctive surrealist object. His focus on meaning, depth, and suggestion, rather than form or content, is what makes Cornell's work so significant. This film, in particular, marks the point where Cornell departs from Marcel Duchamp and charts his own creative path.

Cornell's work is essential in the avant-garde movement, and his ability to blend different elements from various cinematic traditions is noteworthy. His work is timeless and continues to inspire admiration and retrospection for both past and future generations.

THE EMOTIONAL-VISUAL SPECIFICITY OF THE VISUAL ARTS

Ekaterine Tabukashvili — 2024-05-20

The Renaissance period in European culture is the epoch of those changes in which the religious and intellectual played a major role. The humanism of the 14th-15th centuries and the dissemination of ancient texts became the basis of education and knowledge.

The creative range of the art world spreads and reaches a large scale.

In the 16th century, painters were particularly appreciated by patrons of the arts. The artists of the Renaissance wrote down their artistic and life events. Some of these texts have reached us. The writers of the time were interested in the work of contemporary artists. Giorgio Vasari was one of the first to publish “Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori” - “Lives of the most outstanding painters, sculptors and architects” (known as “Le Vite” for short) in 1550.

This collection of biographies also contains critical assessments by the author. Vasari emphasizes the role of patrons/patrons of the arts and argues that art becomes much more beautiful and realistic over time, reaching the peak of perfection in the era of its contemporaries. It is precisely from this statement by Vasari that our conception of the High Renaissance stems, which (since the early experiments of Giovanni Cimabue and Giotto) is based on the harmonious synthesis of the realistic representation of classical ideals and the visible world.

Renaissance painters freed themselves from the Church’s scholastic conception of the world order and became interested in depicting the real world. The basic ideas of the visual arts are now treated from the perspective of scientific thought. The ideas of art seen from the perspective of science show the meaning of this close interaction. The ancient ideals, the knowledge of the anatomical representation of the “object” is the most important thing for the creators of the Renaissance. Theoretical foundations were laid for the teaching of painting and painting, and a common tendency in the artistic theories of the Renaissance epoch became recognizable. Leon Battista Alberti wrote to Filippo Brunelleschi: “The old masters, unlike us, could turn to a number of contemporary examples for the purpose of teaching, but we... create works of art without “invisible” examples”.

The painters of the Renaissance saw the progress of art in the scientific way of thinking. They even considered it a duty to share scientific thinking with others. Filippo Brunelleschi even gave passionate lectures on perspective in the town square (in an open space).

The attitude of Renaissance painters to the fundamentals of the visual arts is special. Michelangelo wrote: “The image, which is called the art of sketching, is the culmination of both painting and sculpture. The image - the line of the image is the foundation of all sciences”.

The study of painting, of the picture, followed a strict system. At first, the journeymen drew on wooden panels, then they learnt the simplest technique of painting (mixing the colors, preparing the ground, painting the background). Cennino Cennini wrote in his “Treatise on Painting” how long and difficult the process of learning to paint was. Beginning with practice, followed by the mixing of colors, then the spreading of the plaster, the shaping of the relief in plaster, and ending with the long process of mastery in the use of the material and technique.

The bottega was a kind of scientific laboratory for the apprentices of Renaissance painting. The painters of the time described and molded their knowledge of the art of painting in their theoretical writings.

Leon Battista Alberti played a key role in the development of theoretical knowledge in the Quattrocento. In his treatise “On Painting”, he talks about perspective, composition, shadows and light, contours and the various reflections of colors. In his opinion, the real world is depicted by painting and only what is visible comes to light.

Leonardo da Vinci (like Alberti) believed that the most important thing was to paint from the model, i.e. from nature. In his opinion, the model forced the painter to observe the object carefully and to study its structure thoroughly. A different method of painting from nature is the use of the so-called “curtain”. Da Vinci believed that the model or nature focused the pupil on the object in order to depict the essence of its outer side. This method awakens the interest of realizing life.

Albrecht Dürer’s theoretical writings on the methodology of drawing are particularly valuable. Dürer was of the opinion that a picture should not only be grasped by the eye, but should also be based on thorough knowledge. In his work “Proportionslehre” (“Four Books of Human Proportion”), the artist scientifically generalized all his views and approaches to the proportional representation of the human body. With the help of mathematical calculations, the painter attempted to find the exact way and rule for the exact depiction of the human body.

The works of Renaissance painters are admired for their deep knowledge of anatomy, perspective and optics. The painters paid great attention to the image. For them, the image was the most important aspect of creative activity.

The theoretical writings of Renaissance painters provide answers to many important questions. Not only do we learn theory, but we also see this theory put into practice. And this is the best proof of the correctness of theoretical approaches to the teaching of the visual arts.

GIOVANNI VERGA’S (SHORT STORY AND PLAY) AND PIETRO MASCAGNI’S OPERA “CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA” - COMPARATIVE STUDY

Manana Paitchadze — 2024-05-20

The article “Giovanni Verga’s (short story and drama) “Cavalleria rusticana” and Pietro Mascagni’s opera “Cavalleria Rusticana” - comparative analysis” discusses the following questions: The genesis of the short story (1880) and the drama/play (1884) “Cavalleria rusticana” by Giovanni Verga and the peculiarities of the narrative structure and technique of the author and his literary texts, as well as the architectonics and expansion of the plot in the drama. Great attention is paid to “verismo” in literature and the role of G. Verga in the emergence and development of this movement.

The development and all the details of the subject matter in the short story and the changes in the main characters in the drama of the same name are discussed in detail.

Furthermore, the work of the composer Pietro Mascagni is presented and the story of the creation of his opera “Cavalleria rusticana”, whose first performance took place in Rome at the Teatro Costanzi on 17 May 1890, is described. The very special role of the librettists Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci is duly emphasized. The libretto is analyzed in great detail and all similarities and differences with the texts by G. Verga are highlighted.

The opera dramaturgy consists of 12 numbers or scenes or performances, to which two numbers should also be added - the overture and Turiddu’s Siciliana. In total, the opera consists of 14 scenes (Verga’s play, on the other hand, consists of 9 scenes). The characters of the protagonists were deepened and expanded by the librettists, the dialogues are much more profound and have a stronger configuration.

The figure of Santuzza takes on human traits that are closer to her name - she arouses the pity and sympathy of the audience/listeners or, if applicable, the readers of the libretto. She regrets her actions by letting Alfio in on the love affair between Turiddu and Lola.

Turiddu is also explicitly favoured with a positive character trait in the dramaturgy of the opera - he also regrets his deed and asks Alfio and his mother to care for the poor Santuzza, who he has insulted and abandoned.

P. Mascagni's opera “Cavalleria rusticana” is a work of art in its own right, a masterpiece of world opera history. The play and the short story by Giovanni Verga are less recognized today. But much research has been devoted to analyzing Verga's work (among others, the article refers to the work of Axel Rüth “Von sizilianischer Archaik zu modernistischer Ästhetik: Aktualisierungen der Cavalleria rusticana bei Verga, Mascagni und Coppola “, in: Romanistisches Jahrbuch 67 (2016), S. 126–147.) and Stefano Boselli (Stefano Boselli, Stefano (2011). The Intertextual Short Play: An Example Using Verga's Cavalleria rusticana and Capuana’s Il piccolo archivio. In: MLN (Modern Language Notes) 126 (2011): 47-73 © 2011 by The Johns Hopkins University Press.).

The article lists a total of 21 bibliographical units in German, English, Italian and French. It is precisely accentuated why the opera became a globally recognized masterpiece and still occupies its place among the best operas in the repertoire of the world’s opera stages.

THE POSTMODERN ACCENTS - "GEORGIAN NOTEBOOKS" BY AKA MORCHILADZE

Ketevan Elashvili — 2024-05-20

"Georgian Notebooks" by Aka Morchiladze awakens a postmodern attitude in us right from the preface, as the author continues the narrative in this direction. "Some time ago, I read a lot about the memoirs and memoirs of Georgians dating back 100 years. A piece of what remained in my memory was reflected in the following text. It may be that not everything is exactly right, but it has imprinted itself on my memory and I have not suppressed it."

It is precisely this kind of associative memory that gives rise to the postmodern narrative, in which an entire system of simulacra comes together, in whose artistic diapason/ sphere of influence no traditional images or archetypes overlap or become recognizable in their original form. The reason for this is that postmodernism creates a kind of freedom of cognition, it destroys both chronology, i.e. the order of time, and chrestomatic imagery, thereby creating original subtexts for the intellectual reader with corresponding artistic references and codes...

That is why Aka Morchiladze's work "Georgian Notebooks" is in essence a kind of postmodern album - compiled from the "images of the 19th century". I will first examine only a few literary illustrations from it, namely "The Life of Tato", "Nikala", "The Opera" and "The Theatre".

As a virtuoso writer, Aka Morchiladze has brought the "georgian word", "character", "feature", "fate of the nation" onto the great stage of world history in this work. All this forms a train of thought characteristic of postmodern narrative, which the author has achieved by various means - whether through the free flow of ideas or through his completely unusual style of writing.

პირიული ცეკვები

Khatuna Damchidze — 2024-05-20

ისტორიოგრაფიას ძველი ბერძენი და ბიზანტიელი მწერლების, ფილოსოფოსების, სხვადასხვა დარგის საზოგადო მოღვაწეების მიერ შექმნილი ნაწარმოებები უდევს საფუძვლად. სწორედ აღნიშნული წყაროები გვაწვდიან უმდიდრეს მასალას ქორეოგრაფიული შემოქმედების შესახებაც. ამჯერად ყურადღებას ვამახვილებთ საბრძოლო ხასიათის ძველ ბერძნულ ცეკვაზე, „პირიხიას“ სახელწოდებით. აღნიშნული ცეკვის წარმომავლობის შესახებ აზრთა სხვადასხვაობას ჰქონდა ადგილი. საკითხი განხილულია ს. ხუდეკოვის წიგნის „ცეკვების ისტორია“ 1 ტომში, რომლის თარგმანსაც გთავაზობთ. ავტორი მათ „პირიულს“ უწოდებს, თუმცა შესაძლოა „პიროსულიც“ ვუწოდოთ, რადგან ლუკიანეზე დაყრდნობით, ნაშრომში „ცეკვის შესახებ“ „პირიხია“ წარმოსდგა „პიროსისაგან“, წითელთავასაგან - ასე უწოდებდნენ აქილევსის ვაჟს ნეოპტოლემეს, რომელმაც ეს ცეკვა შექმნა. ქართულ საცეკვაო დიალექტურ ნიმუშებთან „პირიხია“ საინტერესოა საბრძო-
ლო ხასიათის ცეკვებთან, მათ შორის „ხორუმთან“ მიმართებით, რადგან მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ აღნიშნული ცეკვის შექმნის ადგილად საბერძნეთი სახელდება, დღესდღეობით იგი მხოლოდ შავიზღვისპირული - პონტოური ქორეოგრაფიის ნაწილია.

როლან ბარტი, „მნიშვნელობის პრობლემა კინოში“

Lia kalandarishvili — 2024-05-20

როლან ბარტის ესეი „მნიშვნელობის პრობლემა კინოში“ დაწერილია 1960 წელს, იმ დროს, როდესაც იგი სტრუქტურალიზმის იდეებს აღიარებდა. ბარტის ამ პერიოდის შრომებში მისი ცნობილი „ავტორი“ ჯერ კიდევ თავად განსაზღვრავდა მხატვრული ქმნილების იდეასა და ღირებულებას: „ფილმი ნიშნებითაა გაჯერებული - ნიშნებით, რომლებიც ავტორის მიერ იქმნებიან და მაყურებლის მიმართ წესრიგდებიან“, მოგვიანებით, ბარტის ლოგიკურ, მწყობრ კვლევებში წინააღმდეგობრივი ობიექტები და დასკვნები ჩნდება და უკვე 1967 წლიდან იგი რადიკალურად გადააფასებს თავის ვირტუოზული დამაჯერებლობითა და სიღრმით გაკვალულ პოზიციებს, და „ავტორის სიკვდილს“
გამოაქვეყნებს, რომელშიც „სკრიპტორად“ წოდებული ავტორი კი არ განსაზღვრავს მკითხველისადმი „შეტყობინებას“, არამედ ყველასთვის საერთო „უპიროვნო“ ენა, ხოლო მკითხველი უკვე თავისუფალია თავის აღქმებსა და შეფასებებში: „ლაპარაკობს არა ავტორი, არამედ ენა თავისთავად, როგორც ასეთი...“ აქედან მოყოლებული, ბარტი პოსტსტრუქტურალიზმის იდეებს აყალიბებს, თუმცა, აქ წარმოდგენილი ესეის წერისას, ის, როგორც აღვნიშნეთ, ჯერ კიდევ თავდაჯერებული სტრუქტურალისტია. ესეიში წარმოდგენილი იდეა თუ სემიოლოგიური კვლევის მიზანი და სტილი, ნიშნის მნიშვნელოვანების ხაზგასმა, თანამედროვე მკითხველისთვის მეტ-ნაკლებად მოკლებულია აქტუალობას; თუმცა, უკვე გადაფასებული მოსაზრებების მიუხედავად, ეს პატარა ესე საინტერესოა თუნდაც კინოესთეტიკის ისტორიის,
იმ დროის ეკრანისთვის დამახასიათებელი ხიბლის გაგების თვალსაზრისით. ამასთანვე, ესეი „მნიშვნელობის პრობლემა კინოში“ (ისევე, როგორც როლან ბარტის უაღრესად საინტერესო შემოქმედება - კლასიკურიც, სტრუქტურალისტურიცა თუ პოსტსტრუქტურალისტურიც), მკითხველში ამჯერადაც აღძრავს კრიტიკის ცოცხალ იმპულსს, „დაასნებოვნებს“ ფიქრისა და ანალიზის სურვილის „ვირუსით“, დაბადებს მასში წინააღმდეგობრივ, ჯერარდასმულ კითხვებსა და მრავალ ურთიერთგამომრიცხავ პასუხს.

SHOTA RUSTAVELI THEATRE AND FILM GEORGIAN STATE UNIVERSITY DIMITRI JANELIDZE SCIENTIFIC-RESEARCH INSTITUTION

2024-05-20

2023 report