This image really speaks to me. It stands on its own as a captivating work of art, but it also succeeds as the startling and creepy promotional poster for Trinity Rep’s current production of The Crucible — Arthur Miller’s telling of the Salem witch trials, considered an allegory for the communist hysteria of the 50’s. (Review ProJo)
Michael Guy (BFA RISD ’75) started as Trinity’s graphic designer in 1980 and estimates he has executed over 250 posters since then. For this season, artistic director Curt Columbus asked that objects be used to suggest themes of the individual productions. Guy thought of the “poppet”, or doll, which young Abigail uses to implicate her rival in witchcraft. Working in acrylic on paper, Guy referenced one of his own photographs for the gloomy vortex of water; he researched assorted voodoo dolls and primitive homemade dolls for the central figure, but basically made it up out of whole cloth, so to speak. Those button eyes just kill me.
Mr. Guy has a show coming up, Perfect Days, featuring six paintings done at his studio in Provincetown. The show runs from 3/3 to 4/6 at the Pitman Street BankRI Gallery; it then moves downtown into the Turks Head Building location from 4/7 to 5/4. (Picture after the jump.)
“Cartwheel — Hatches Harbor” (egg tempera)