John Coburn, artist, designing for Sydney Opera House

Mar. 03, 1971 - Curtains of sun and moon for Sydney Opera House.: John Coburn, Australian artist, is now at work in his Paris studio designing two tapestry curtains for the Sydney Opera house. One is The Curtain of the Sun - height 27 feet (830cm), width 52 feet (1600cm) - for the Opera theatre, in rich reds, yellows, pinks and browns; abstract shapes based on organic forms representing the elements of fire, earth, air and water dominated by a huge heraldic sun. The rays of the sun will have gold thread woven in with the yellow wool. The colours will be in harmony with the carpets, seating etc. and the general effect of the curtain will be of theatrical richness appropriate to an Opera theatre. The other is The curtain of the moon height 17 feet (526cm), width 64 feet (1950cm) - for the Drama theatre. In deep blues, greens and browns - abstract shapes based on leaf and plant forms evoking the mystery and drama of the night. The moon will be woven in silver thread mixed with off-white wool. Again the curtain will be in harmony with the interior of the theatre. Both curtains are in two sections of equal length which come together and overlap slightly in the center. They will be hung from hooks on a sliding track, above the procenium arch. They are woven from pure Australian wool; tests were carried out before they were began to ensure that they would not be too heavy; the wool thread being used is very fine and the weave is finer than is usual in Aubusson tapestries.The curtain are being woven in the workshop of Pinton Freres at Felletin a medival village about five miles from Aubusson in the very beautiful valley of the Creuse in Central France

Restrictions Only for United Kingdom

Appropriate Aubusson Browns Carpets Coburn Creuse Curtains Designing Dominated Effect Elements Ensure Equal Evoking Felletin Finer Forms Freres Greens Harmony Heraldic Hooks Hung Medival Mixed Off-white Organic Overlap Pinks Pure Rays Reds Representing Richness Seating Sections Shapes Sliding Tapestry Tests Thread Usual Weave Width Woven Yellows

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