For Max Newroth (BFA 1992), the chance to work on a large-scale performance art piece at the Musée du Louvre in Paris goes down in his books as a dream come true.
Max is well-known as a highly skilled artisan who does fabrication and restoration work. He has transformed high profile locations and environments, like The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul’s Chapel in New York, and the Venetian Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
When celebrated Broadway producer and artist Jordan Roth approached Max’s New York multidisciplinary design / build firm, Factioned, with the idea for Radical Acts of Unrelenting Beauty – a performance that combined fashion, theatre and sculpture, set on the grounds of the Louvre during Paris Fashion Week – the entire team, including Max, reveled in the chance to stretch their design and fabrication skills.
In the performance, Jordan Roth uses fashion to convey his impressions of the art, architecture and sculpture in the Cour Marly, but also the Louvre at large. The performance uses digital projection, gesture, and transformation to explore themes of self-becoming, with a projected red gown dissolving to white, expanding into wings, and finally transforming into a moving collage of skies inspired by the museum’s paintings, sculptures and the Louvre’s glass pyramid. The performance is divided into acts based on three themes—Red, Wings, and Pyramid—and translated them into digital images to be projected onto custom designed white garments.
“This was Jordan Roth’s first venture into performance art at a significant moment during Paris Haute Couture Week. His vision was to create a first-of-its-kind fusion of fashion, theatre, and performance art, using the body as both canvas and subject to convey his impressions of the Louvre and of self. We had to have the right people on the Factioned team to create this landmark project,” said Jared Lairmore, Design Director at Factioned.
To prepare for Jordan Roth’s vision, the first step was to increase the size of the Factioned studio to accommodate additional team members, and their work in architecture, interior design, industrial design, fashion, and fabrication.
As master fabricator, it was Max’s role to take Jordan’s vision and create the physical elements to bring it to life in the production. The job of a fabricator is to transform raw materials into finished products by cutting, shaping, and assembling components according to blueprints and technical specifications. With this project, there was a lot of up-front planning and testing.
“Jordan is a mega collaborator. He’s as much a listener as the lead creator. We met multiple times each week for two years and tried out all kinds of ideas to realize his vision. We did mockups and drawings. We worked together to figure out how the mechanics would take place,” said Max.
ROTH’S VISION TAKES FLIGHT
As an example, Max remembers the stages of development required to create a set of wings that Jordan could wear during the performance.
“At first, they were mechanical, and they would extend out from the body when Jordan pulled on the cords. Unfortunately, because they were made from aluminum, they were too heavy. Instead, we tried longer, carbon fibre rods, with material draped over which were much lighter.”
Jordan Roth brought in a team with the highest level of fashion expertise to ensure all costumes for the performance could be hand tailored. “The fashion people who came in were fascinating,” said Max. “They changed the working dynamic. It was fun to embrace new methodologies and materials. It was an exciting and fun studio environment — five or six new people doing woodworking and another four or five people in fashion. Our entire team grew to 20 people.”
Fabrication worked closely with fashion to figure out how to attach the wings. “We took a mold of Jordan’s back and fabricated a fiberglass backpack for the wings to clip in to. The backpack was attached with a corset that he could wear under the dress. The fashion team made sure the corset was beautifully finished.
“When you see the end result — fashion items, sculpted props, mechanical and technical elements; the final iterations at the performance are the result of countless iterations,” recounted Max.
Over my career I’ve worked on fantastic venues, but I’ve learned that WHERE it happens doesn’t matter. It’s about the projects. Cool concepts, who you work with, what energy you bring to it.
ON (AND UNDER) THE GROUND IN PARIS
In the weeks leading to the performance, the core team travelled to Paris, accompanied by 40 huge crates filled with props, costumes, mechanical equipment and supplies. They were joined by two additional teams that specialize in theatrical and event lighting, sound, and production.
“We moved into a movie studio in the northern part of Paris that was equipped with two huge sound stages. Next door they were doing the sound for the movie Moana 2. We set up the whole show in one room. In the other room, we did the layout of the dresses for the show. We had state-of-the-art metal shops and wood shops and sewing equipment,” Max explained.
One of the teams was Lumen and Forge, experts in projection mapping from Las Vegas who developed a brand-new way to track video content clearly onto moving surfaces. They embedded 50+ sensors within the garments and later around the perimeter of the Cour Marly to accurately manipulate and frame the projected images in real time onto the various performance apparatuses.
FABRICATION BEHIND THE SCENES
As the performance date approached, Max and his team got to work installing and testing equipment to power the performance onsite at the Louvre. The fabrication team commissioned a custom-built ‘man lift’ for Jordan. It was operated manually by Max and overseen by a stunt coordinator who was concealed within the stage.
“We created a set of specially designed ski boots attached to the man lift. Jordan put his feet in the boots, and the stunt coordinator would crank in the dials to tighten them. The stunt coordinator also installed safety harnesses for Jordan and would give us verbal cues when he was installed safely, then we would shoot him up on the lift.
“I was out with the audience in the viewing circle, so I got to wear a fully tailored outfit. The who’s who of fashion were there. Even Anna Wintour attended. It was amazing to see so many likeminded people together, all wearing outrageous fashions,” said Max.
Although there were some small complications leading up to the show, on the actual day the team had three perfect shows.
“Over my career I’ve worked on fantastic venues, but I‘ve learned that where it happens doesn’t matter. It’s about the projects. Cool concepts, who you work with, what energy you bring to it. I was at a stage in my career when I wondered how to engage and feel like I was doing meaningful work. This project was perfect. Looking back, it was truly a godsend.”