Portland Opera
Art direction inspired by the artform it was made for. Portland Opera’s 2023 season campaign is the most emotive yet.
Client
Portland Opera
Year
2022-2023
Services
Sketching
3D modeling
Prototyping
Notes
Created at Material+
CD / Mike Park
Copy / Julia Brumbaugh
Art inspired by art
Each year, Portland Opera puts out fresh new performances that reimagine old opera classics. For the 2023-34 season, they wanted a campaign to reflect their bold, inclusive and emotional new sets.
Portland Opera’s brand identity is a dream for any designer. It’s vibrantly colorful, clean and modern and flexes behind the imagination with an array of art strokes and textures to explore. The brand’s key art posters always included a collage of creative layering techniques and visuals, but I wanted to tie in the artwork element a bit more intentionally for the 2023 season.
By using a linoprint-inspired background texture I was immediately able to create separation between the art form and the content information while tying back to the brand identity. I then took inspiration from each story – the flamenco dancing headpiece in Carmen, the hijab in Thumbprint, the cycles of the moon in Rusalka and the energy derived from various memories for Terence and used additional art elements to weave these pieces into my collages.
From blooming flower to rebellious bull to flightless bird
“Carmen” tells the story of a seductive and free-spirited young woman, a fiery gypsy who captivates the hearts of men, including the soldier Don José. The opera explores themes of love, desire, jealousy, and the clash between societal norms and personal freedom.
As a nod to the story and Carmen’s heritage, a flamenco hair comb worn during dances and special events is used as the main visual to ground the piece. Within this, two men can be seen within the bottom portion separated by a knife, ready to dual to the end. Surrounding them are a man and a bull, dancing between life and death as birds representing freedom fly above.
Pain becomes protest becomes hope
“Thumbprint" is an opera inspired by the true story of Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani woman who is wrongly and woefully punished for a crime she was not responsible for. It explores themes of courage, resilience, and the power of one individual to spark change in the face of adversity.
While Thumbprint promo designs often have a singular visual attached to them, I wanted to create one that focused more on Mukhtar herself. Wrapped in a hijab of pages, these book sheets tell her story in the Pakistani Urdu language folded and stacked to mimic natural fabric folds. Her thumbprints walk as steps, moving toward something greater than even she knew she was capable of. Unable to read or write, her voice was her power and is highlighted through colorful paint strokes igniting against those who try to quiet it.
Curiosity turned passion turned consequence
"Rusalka" is an opera by Antonín Dvořák inspired by Slavic folklore. The story revolves around Rusalka, a water nymph who falls in love with a human prince and desires to become mortal to be with him. Rusalka's relationship with the prince faces challenges, leading to heartbreak and tragedy as she ultimately returns to the waters as a forsaken spirit. The opera explores themes of love, longing, and the conflict between different worlds.
The artwork represents these two words, one of the living and one of the dead. The main graphic is circled by moons, a significant symbolic and thematic importance to the story. The moon is often portrayed as a guiding force, representing both the longing and unattainable nature of Rusalka's desires.
Terence Blanchard
Terence Blanchard is a renowned American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. Blanchard has received widespread acclaim for his contributions to jazz music, with numerous Grammy Awards and nominations to his name. In addition to his work in jazz, Blanchard is also known for his film scoring collaborations with director Spike Lee, which include notable films such as "Malcolm X," "Inside Man," and "BlacKkKlansman." Blanchard's music often incorporates elements of jazz, funk, and classical music, showcasing his versatility and innovative approach to composition and performance.
Vibrant colors and layering techniques were used to capture Terence’s history and passions.
