Description
A Life Onstage is a portrait of Randall Forte, former Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council. The work was commissioned by Forte as a response to inclusion in the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission‘s biannual portrait show.
This portrait assemblage began by identifying ways to create identity through art, ultimately sculpture. Many heirlooms were utilized from Forte’s life, including a cast of his own face and family photos. Also, taking from Randall’s history as a thespian I created a “stage” that anchors the composition. Spanning out from the stage and providing the major backdrop for A Life Onstage is the back part of a patio chair.
This work is absolutely meant to be touched.
Randall Forte’s Statement
“How does a former theatre artist (whose fine motor skills are compromised by Parkinson’s Disease) create a self-portrait? I knew from the onset that I would draw upon my theatre experiences as an actor and director. For inspiration, I turned to Louise Nevelson and Joseph Cornell, whose assemblages exude both theatricality and narrative quality. I was confident that I could select personal objects that would resonate with the viewer; however, I needed a context or a framework where they could co-exist. I asked artist Zach Kleemeyer to collaborate with me and create the “stage setting.” The collaboration is a very important element in the piece and reinforces the collaborative-nature of the theatre. In this case, it was an ideal alliance. In his work, Zach fashions reclaimed pieces of wood into 3-dimensional sacred spaces. He also works at the Arts Council so he knows who I am.”
