Three Questions for Ellen McCartney

Like Sam Durant, Theatre school faculty member Ellen McCartney was awarded an honorary chair earlier this fall.  Artizen talked to McCartney about what it’s like to be a costume designer.

 

Artizen:  Does being named chair alter your responsibilities at school in any way, and if so, how? 

McCartney: Probably it has heightened my pre-existing responsibilities and has more to do with expectation now- having this titled bestowed upon me is a great honor in that it points a finger at my program and my teaching. Before this I was just quietly doing as I please…

 Training in my field presents particular challenges.  Although we do use the term artist loosely, the creators in the community have specific titles such as writer, designer, actor, director, technical director, etc. which articulate not only a specific job but also imply hierarchical status.  This established system for making work can sometimes limit, even stifle creative impulse.  Costume design in particular is traditionally taught from the perspective of character development, text analysis, historical truth, etc. which can act as  straightjackets to the creation of original work.  Designer’s trained in this way end up more as decorators than as builders and innovators.    In my teaching and course development I seek to blur these demarcations and encourage more independent thought in the development of performance/art work. Once the foundation class is completed, I treat the class room as an experimental laboratory  that challenges how we learn, interact and contribute to the collective work. I encourage students to explore and ‘wear’ the shoes of the ‘other’ -to break away from what it is they think they should be doing and instead do what truly interests them. The student is challenged to find her/his voice through the realm of other disciplines such as light, sound, movement and philosophy.  The demands of production, necessary, but at times overwhelming leave little room for contemplation and reflection. I find this focus to be critical in the development of a thoughtful, smart artist.  I am interested in seeing students define their perspective of the world, question their ideals and choose to make work that addresses the ongoing issues we face today through their chosen field.  In this way to gain knowledge, empathy and hopefully perception.  

Artizen:  Could you describe your work and share your thoughts on what qualities a good costume designer/maker should have?   

McCartney: Although costume design is the universal term for my work, the word “costume” unfortunately comes with  baggage and immediately forces us to think in terms of “decoration” and “illustration” rather than structure which extends, shrinks, augments, covers, exposes, re-fashions, re-shapes or alters the wearer’s physical presence. A career in costume design demands social, cultural, political and anthropological study.  Because it is a visual field it also demands study in the formal areas of form, space, weight, geometry, etc. and lastly a designer is a builder and must know the craft, the tools and the construction  methods of the medium. For the work to have depth a costume designer must approach the work much in the way an architect approaches thinking about space and structural problems, just on a much smaller scale…. In fact, both deal with housing the body and so I like to think of a garment as intimate architecture designed to contain and define space.  One of the big differences obviously is: garments being connected to the body must be able to move with or in opposition to the body and this offers great opportunity for endless expression. I think  any one interested in costume design has to discover for themselves how they fit in and what their interests actually are. Although clothing and garments are my medium, that is not necessarily what drives my interest, rather it is the larger work of a production that ultimately interests me and how my work will contribute to it. If one is just interested in clothes and the latest trends, or gets a thrill from making period garments then perhaps a career in fashion design or museum work is best. Work as a designer in a collaborative field such as theatre or film requires an interest in the world at large and a desire to be a part of a larger work. 

Artizen: What is it like always working as part of a creative team?  Have you ever worked on a production where the performance was built around the costumes, or if not, what would be an ideal set of costumes you’d create to begin a production? 

McCartney: Working as part of a creative team requires particular skills in patience and an ability to see the larger picture at all times. You have to be willing to be generous and alert to the opportunities for contribution in a meaningful way. Theatre is composed of like minded artists who have learned that they work best as part of a creative team rather than as singular artists and so it generally works well. It has a lot to do with having a social temperament combined with a strong personal drive. Working with a creative team is much like participation in team sports  and/or a bazaar medical mystery where a complex play/problem exists requiring solutions from different angles/viewpoints simultaneously. There is a real joy in the creative process shared with others.  It is both rewarding and(at times) frustrating but that is not uncommon in any field. Theatre and film are probably very similar in this way.  I have never worked on a production where the performance was built solely around the costumes—however I have been involved in the development of many productions where my involvement clearly influenced a point of view on the production or a particular character and/or  choreography was built around the costume.  The most satisfying work has been work where simultaneous development of text, movement and imagery meet in a seamless moment. I would be most interested in the challenge of an ideal set of garments/ structures to begin a production with.   I’m going to look into that.