KRISTIAN FREDRIKSON BY MICHELLE POTTER
August 2020
‘ I’m the original Peter Pan : I never wanted to grow up ‘ ( Kristian Fredrikson )
Renowned dance critic Michelle Potter has produced a lushly, lavishly illustrated (both black and white and coloured ) meticulously and extensively researched biography of the eminent designer Kristian Fredrikson.The book is medium to large in size , of middling thickness and has a great index as well as a chronological list of productions that Fredrikson designed and a bibliography . The author, Michelle Potter ,is a prominent dance writer, curator and historian with a doctorate in art history and dance history from the Australian National University. Potter was inaugural Curator of Dance at the National library of Australia, 2002 – 2006, and Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York City, 2006 – 2008.She is the recipient of an International Dance Day Award (1996), two Australian Cultural Studies Awards (1998 & 2000), and two Australian Dance Awards (2001 & 2003). She also received a 2012 Scholars and Artists in Residence Fellowship at the National Film and Sound Archive.
Fredrikson was a recipient of four Erik Design Awards and won prestigious Green Room Awards for After Venice (Sydney Dance Company – 1985), King Roger (1991),Turandot (1991), The Nutcracker (1992), Salome (1993), Swan Lake (2002) and an AFI award for Undercover. Fredrickson also received a Penguin Award for The Shiralee (1988). In 1999 he received the Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance.
With a forward by Maina Gielgud, ex artistic director of the Australian Ballet, the book is divided into eight chapters .It is mostly arranged chronologically . It is interesting to note that after the first chapter , with his move to Australia from New Zealand in the early 1960’s , there is virtually no mention about his private life .Each chapter has a quote at the start either by a collaborator or Fredrikson himself.There are interviews with various collaborators and performers who worked with Fredrikson on various productions that give fascinating insights.
Wellington New Zealand-born Fredrikson(born Frederick John Sams in 1940 , passed away in 2005), first began working as a designer for a small, amateur operetta company in Wellington, before heading to Australia in the 1960’s , where he launched a career as a designer for dance, opera, theatre, film and television that would span five decades and several continents . While Fredrikson’s chief focus was on dance, he also worked in film, TV, opera, musicals ( eg Annie , Man of La Mancha) and straight theatre – the Melbourne Theatre Company with George Ogilvie and he also designed for the Sydney Theatre Company ( including for example the costumes for Cate Blanchett as Hedda Gabler in 2005 ) , not forgetting his work for the State Theatre Company of South Australia.
Mention is also made of his work for the West Australian Ballet and the Royal New Zealand Ballet among others .
Fredrikson’s meeting with Graeme Murphy on the Melbourne Theatre Company’s 1975 production of The Revenger’s Tragedy was a crucial turning point in his life.One chapter of the book is entitled The Murphy Years and examines Fredrickson’s many productions designed for Graeme Murphy both for Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Ballet (eg Daphnis and Chloe , Sheherazade , The Selfish Giant, Beauty and the Beast , King Roger, After Venice , Tivoli ,and the Nutcracker and Swan Lake ) as well as their collaborations for Opera Australia . In 1977 he designed the spectacular Lucrezia Borgia for Opera Australia , as well as for example The Trojans ( 1994 ), Salome (1993 ) and Turandot( 1990) .Fredrickson said of Murphy “ Graeme is like some magic thing that happened to me in my career “.
Chapter seven concentrates on Fredrikson’s work process and aesthetic style, as well as how he collaborated with others . It looks at his great attention to historical detail and accuracy , how ( especially for dance ) the material moved and flowed and worked for the performer , reflecting the character the actor or dancer was portraying.Also how Fredrickson was influenced to a degree by the designers Oliver Messel , Lesley Hurry and Harry Baker and his use of masks and headdresses . As Laura Lynch says “ He’s the kind of designer we love because when you look at his designs all your questions are answered. They are works of art “ .
The final chapter examines the five various productions of Swan Lake that he designed over the years for various companies (two for the Australian Ballet, two for the Royal New Zealand Ballet and his last work for the Houston Ballet) .
There are some exquisite, detailed close ups of some of the costumes , and plenty of performance photos and illustrations of Fredrikson’s designs throughout.
A celebration of a magnificent designer who continued working until he dropped , this is a splendid book for anyone interested in dance , theatre , opera and/or textiles.
Released July 2020
Kristian Fredrikson by Michelle Potter is available from Melbourne Books
https://www.melbournebooks.com.au/products/kristian-fredrikson