In 1998
the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home of the Los Angeles Opera, hosted the
premiere exhibition of Beckie Kravetz’s fine art bronze and mixed
media sculptures inspired by the world of opera. This one-woman show grew
out of Kravetz’s years of work as a principal makeup artist, assistant
wig-master, and resident mask maker for the Los Angeles Opera company.
Since 1988, her artistry has helped transform the faces of dozens of singers,
including Placido Domingo, Sir Thomas Allen, Carol Vaness, Samuel Ramey,
Richard Bernstein, and Rodney Gilfry. The Sculpted Arias are not portraits
of any particular singer in a role, as much as idealized portrayals of
the people the artist imagines these characters to be.
The series includes full figures and Kravetz’s signature "portrait masks". Behind each sculpted face is a tableau: a stage set in miniature that uses painted images, fragments of music and mixed-media sculptures to reveal elements of character, or metaphorical themes from the different operas.
Kravetz’s pieces are in the collections of James Morris and Susan Quittmeyer, Sir Thomas Allen, and Richard Bernstein, among others in the international opera community. The Sculpted Arias series is an ongoing body of work. New characters will continually be added, and the artist welcomes commissions to sculpt your favorites.
The series includes full figures and Kravetz’s signature "portrait masks". Behind each sculpted face is a tableau: a stage set in miniature that uses painted images, fragments of music and mixed-media sculptures to reveal elements of character, or metaphorical themes from the different operas.
Kravetz’s pieces are in the collections of James Morris and Susan Quittmeyer, Sir Thomas Allen, and Richard Bernstein, among others in the international opera community. The Sculpted Arias series is an ongoing body of work. New characters will continually be added, and the artist welcomes commissions to sculpt your favorites.
