Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/765720
P E R S P E C T I V E | J A N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 7 29 in print Detail of a backing showing the Arc de Triomphe in Paris from MGM's SILK STOCKINGS (1957), starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, by Supervising Scenic Artist George Gibson and Scenic Artist Ben Carré. Referred to in the trade as backings, these scenic artworks began as large canvases, sometimes seamed together from narrower panels and at other times seamless, depending upon whether they were to be lit from the back for translucent effects or from the front as colossal opaque panoramas. The studio drapery department, working in what was the equivalent of a sailmaker's loft, would manufacture and attach the backings to the scenic studio's paint frames using upholstery tacks, leaving them semi-taut and wrinkle-free. The paint frames were movable titans. A signature innovation unique to the Hollywood studios, they were ingeniously engineered and made of wood, with iron fasteners capable of mechanically gliding up and down through long slots cut into the shop's floor by the use of counterweights, cables and electric motors. This permitted the artists to skillfully draw and paint while easily reaching every portion of the massive artwork's working surface. As for the artists that I knew well, many were the sons, grandsons, uncles and cousins of the profession's founding fathers, and yes, nepotism was common. A few were my creative tormentors, while far more were my teachers, mentors and lifelong heroes. In the beginning, all were male and for the most part, unapologetically chauvinist. Almost all had fine arts training. Very judgmental and competitive, each of them, in their minds, was a far better artist than the other guy. Some were very secretive, covetously guarding their techniques. Others were tormented or alcoholic, often harboring deep frustrations over their unfulfilled artistic aspirations or feeling trapped within a blue-collar trade despite the steady paycheck. But the majority held a deep love and appreciation for their continued Art Directors Guild Archives/Courtesy of JC Backings/Photographer Cameron Devon