Dorothea Tanning @ Alison Jacques Gallery

An exhibition of rare ballet and theatre designs by Dorothea Tanning, dating from 1945 through to 1961; this body of work has not been exhibited in Europe previously. The series of ink, gouache and watercolour works on paper shown in London feature over twenty costumes and two set designs. Exceeding their practical intention as instructions for set and costume designs, the works in Night Shadows embody a sense of movement and fantasy. The fanciful characters we see in Tanning’s images show the artist exploring costume as her medium, drawing from her early experience rendering fashion advertisements as a young artist. Inspired by the productions themselves.