Lace Bloom

Chris Klein

 

Chris Klein’s artwork is simultaneously intriguing in its subject and uniquely lyrical in its detail. Above all, it is rich in a subtle humanity. His long career in painting backdrops for the theatre transitioned after his experience working at the Stratford Festival into costume painting – his respect and familiarity with the performance arts serves him well in this endeavor, granting him an impeccable sense of character.

Klein began painting at a young age, surrounded by an artistic family, in Borehamwood – a suburb of London and haven for film. Self-taught, he painted through his youth; as he grew, he dreamed of painting sets for productions. Soon, a resident scenic artist at his local film studio granted him the opportunity to work on The Merry Widow at the Royal Opera House. Quickly came a near meteoric rise to West End and international touring productions; after a move to Canada, his work turned to film. But he began to crave painting for himself again; when he came to a regular position as the Head of Scenic Art at the Stratford Festival, he at last found the time. At Stratford, he discovered his current subject: costumes.

Through his piercing photorealistic lens, Klein deftly portrays the complexities of his subjects’ interior and exterior lives, with sensitivity comparable to Caravaggio. Universally, this applies to the cloth itself; in Threads of Gossamer, the fabric is a white flower on black canvas, but the frays are displayed eminently (if carefully) – Klein treats the subject as living and breathing, permitting it to show off its beauty even as it comes apart at the seams. In his painting of costumes, another layer is added; that of the wearer.

 

 

Threads of Gossamer

In It’s a Beautiful Day, we see bunched-up folds that explode onto the right side of the canvas, the fabric becomes a vehicle for Klein’s portrayal of Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury himself. The spirit of the clothing is akin to that of the great singer – compressed, then boundless as it moves gracefully into the light.

 

It’s a Beautiful Day

Primo Vere’s colors are muted and cool, far less stark against the black background. The dresses are arranged in a line, each unique in a subtle way, but forming the sky together with the rest – as does Orff’s chorus in Carmina Burana. In contrast to Mercury’s outfit, these pieces are quiet and still. But they are by no means stagnant. Together, they depict a landscape – their parts coming together to make something beyond the whole (as a chorus does).

 

 

Primo Vere (Fernand Nault’s Carmina Burana)

The visual influence of the theatre is readily apparent throughout his work – each painting a moment, each moment a full story, rich with character. He is a master of chiaroscuro, showcasing the light and darkness within his subjects and carefully reflecting it onto the exterior. His paintings are, in essence, a study of both identity and duality; in examining purely the exterior, he can convey the innermost parts of his subject. But Klein’s work is also a means of personal expression; in his empathy for others, he may portray himself. His good-heartedness and pure love of both art and humanity itself are readily apparent in each of his projects. They carry a deep sense of caring, alluring in its sincerity.

– Artist review by Mikul Wyer, AbstractMagazine TV. Wyer is an Indian-American student from Hong Kong currently studying at the University of Chicago. In addition to AbstractMagazine TV, he edits for Polyphony Lit and is an executive editor at Mollusk Literary Magazine. His work has been recognized by the Cincinnati Overture Awards and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. 

 

 

From Broadway, to Queen, and beyond: the artistry of Chris Klein

 

Chris Klein

All of my life I’ve considered myself an artist. I’ve loved drawing for as far back as I have any memory. My brothers and sister were all artistic, and I remember them helping me, and offering tips on how to draw things such as clouds and trees.

I also remember when I was around 5 or 6, I was drawing an image of Stone Henge. I’m sure it wasn’t very good and it was just from memory, but I remember clearly the teacher looking over my shoulder and asking me who taught me “perspective”. I asked what perspective was, and he said not to worry! I went home to ask my siblings to explain it to me.

I was drawing all the time when I was young, but when I was about 14 my sister bought me a set of oil paints, and I started to work in colour. At 17, I had my first show at the local civic centre, sharing it with my father who also painted as a hobby. He helped me to have this first show. I was so excited when someone actually purchased one of my paintings.

For many years I considered myself a hobby artist, I had occasional shows and a few sales. The next exciting step was in 1983, when I submitted a couple of small watercolour paintings to the Royal Academy in London for their famous Summer Exhibition. I was so happy to have one of them selected.

I grew up in a north London suburb called Borehamwood. Nobody has heard of it, but it is quite famous for its film and TV studios. In the 60’s it was the home of great shows like The Avengers, The Saint, Thunderbirds, and many more. Stanley Kubrick made almost all of his movies here. I would recognise locations from the shows and occasionally you might see a famous actor around town. I would dream of painting sets for productions, but had no idea how to start.

One day I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time and he told me he worked as a stage hand in the movies. He spoke with the Head Painter who agreed to see me. I met him at Pinewood Studios, he was working on Martin Boorman’s film “Beyond Rangoon”. I was amazed by the huge backdrops they were painting, one of the sun rising over golden temples. He seemed quite impressed by the realistic paintings I’d brought with me and said he might be able to find work for me on his next movie, a Bond film. Of course I was very excited by the prospect and looked forward to him calling me.

He never did call. I tried to track him down but it’s almost impossible, he moves around from film to film and I didn’t have a mobile number for him. I tried calling a few film studios, but with no luck. Then one day I called my local studio in Borehamwood, and I heard there was a resident scenic artist. I called him and he said he didn’t work on movies, he was a theatre painter. But I asked if ever he needed assistance and he replied that he was extremely busy at the moment and he will call me back in a few weeks. I felt him hesitate and then he asked “can you come over now and show me some of your work?”

I was there straight away, and he could see that I could draw, so the next day I was drawing large backdrops for The Merry Widow at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. The show was going out on National TV and the Queen would be there for the premiere. A great first job painting for theatre! The designer was Richard Hudson, a very successful designer who I would later meet again on the Lion King, as he designed the set and I helped to paint the curtains for some of the shows. The couple who employed me started giving me regular work, and I found myself painting for many shows in London’s West End, as well as international and touring shows. Occasionally, I was invited to the opening, and it was a surreal experience meeting the stars and even standing on the red carpet with some of them with press taking photographs.

This felt like a major step forward for me, as it was the first time in my life where my skills in art were recognised as qualifications. And I was painting, and making a living, but not yet as my own boss.

Life brought me to Canada and Montreal, where I married Linda and settled. I found work straight away in the film industry, where many Hollywood movies are made. I also continued doing theatre work, but not as big as in London, although I did do a few shows for the Cirque du Soleil.

My own art took a back seat for a while, as I had a family now and needed regular work. But after a few years, a friend told of a theatre position at the Stratford Festival, the largest classical theatre in North America. It was for the head of scenic art. I had to apply, even though I doubted I would get the job. But I did get the job and I worked there for 8 seasons.

It was here that I finally found more time to paint for myself. The Stratford Festival also holds one of the largest collections of theatrical costumes in Canada, and my paintshop was right next door. I often walked past the costumes and I started taking photographs. It was when I was browsing my photos that I realised I had to paint some of them.

 

Robes loosely flowing

I imagined I might create 4 or 5 paintings. So far I must have painted over 100, and still I haven’t stopped! They proved very popular, and I was selling many in Montreal. But a new gallery opened up in Stratford and the owner of Agora Gallery contacted me wanting to place some in her showroom.

I was very happy as this was my home at the time, and all my costume paintings up to that point were from Stratford. She started selling regularly and soon gave me a solo show. My prices started to increase and yet I was still selling faster than I could paint!

I started to get noticed and had more shows in Montreal and Toronto. I also started winning competitions, and this helped me get shows as far afield as Miami, New York and Lisbon in Portugal.

I gave up my job in Stratford, because I needed more time to paint, but I was offered a part time job as the Head of Scenic Art for the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. It was perfect, as I had a great job, but also far more time for my own art.

 

Perchance to Dream

I started painting more from other theatres, including some major shows like Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway and The Phantom of the Opera. It’s difficult to get permission to paint these costumes, but I was very fortunate to have many friends in the theatre business.

I wanted to expand the range of costumes that I painted, not just from theatre. I was very privileged to get permission to visit Kensington Palace, where there is a large collection of Royal Ceremonial costumes. I was invited to their archives and photographed some of their collection. I also gained access to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s archives, with their vast collection of costumes from pop culture to Royalty. It was here that I painted a dress designed by Dame Zandra Rhodes. Zandra has designed for many celebrities and royalty, including Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Ross. She’s probably most famous for designing some of the tops worn by Freddie Mercury and Brian May on Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody tour.

Zandra herself saw this painting and wrote inviting me to paint from her collection in London. She invited me into her studio and gave me and Linda, my wife, a tour. When she came to Montreal, she came to visit, and we cooked a lovely brunch for her.

 

Chris and Zandra in her studio

She designed the original white pleated top that is so iconic, worn by Freddie Mercury from Queen. I’ve painted this a couple of times now, and always give a percentage to Freddie’s charity, the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

When in London, she gave me some of her design samples to take home. This gave me some great opportunities to experiment more, which I couldn’t do in her studio. I tried photographing looking straight up though the fabrics, with strong lighting. Also throwing the pieces and capturing them floating in the air. It gave completely different perspectives, and an even “floral” quality to the pieces, making them somewhat abstract, and not always recognisable as garments. One of these was part of the show in Spain. Black backgrounds and strong lighting, made the pieces moody and ephemeral. Floating in the void.

 

Zandra’s Mexican Banana Leaf

I’ve created a few of these forms now, very different from simply hanging the costumes on a rack and painting them. I’m still discovering new ways to see a costume, and allowing others to discover more about the show that they love, or the designer.

 

Zandra’s Peasant Rose Turnaround

When I was painting Zandra’s original top for Freddie Mercury, I wondered if I might be able to paint more from Queen. Freddie and Brian May wore some very flamboyant pieces, many were designed by Zandra Rhodes.

I’d heard that Brian kept a collection of his stage costumes. Then I saw a BBC documentary about the importance of the costume in the music world. Brian was on one the episodes talking about his favourites. He was standing with racks of his costumes, one of them, designed by Zandra, he proudly held up saying it was his favourite!

I wrote to the Save Me Trust, knowing they work hard in saving and protecting wildlife, and Brian was one of the founders. It is such a worthwhile cause, I suggested that I could offer a percentage of any sales to the trust.

Anne Brummer wrote back saying how impressed they were with my art, and they thought it would work. This was during covid, so it took some time before I got the chance to visit the trust. Anne showed me around, and then we spent most of the day pulling out Brian’s costumes and taking many photographs. He even had a few pieces of Freddie’s.

It took another long period of time, as I then had to deal with their legal folks, as well as get permission from the designers. But finally last year I started to paint. I’ve completed two pieces so far with another two in progress.

 

Let Me Entertain You (Brian May’s Golden Jubilee performance)

It’s been slow this past year, as I took on a full time contract painting for Universal Studios for a Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts theme park in Orlando. That was fun, but it took a lot of my time. Now I’m back painting full time and have a lot to catch up on.

After just a couple of years working at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa I had to give up the job because I needed to paint full time. I still couldn’t produce enough paintings to keep up with the demand.

Shortly after that I received a call from Frank Bernarducci, who owned his own gallery in Chelsea in New York. He had seen my art in a magazine that he was also interviewed in and wanted to see my art in the flesh, so I sent him a small painting which was sold immediately. He then drove up to visit me and see my studio. He offered to represent me and give me a solo show for the following year. This was another major step in my career and once again my prices were increasing. I was a little nervous because I didn’t feel in complete control, but you never move forwards without risks. And even with such large price increases, my small gallery in Stratford continued selling my work.

It’s very sad that Frank Bernarducci suffered a stroke before my solo show. Shortly after the show the gallery closed. But he sold a few of my works.

It can be very difficult to get permission to paint from theatre shows, and the bigger the company, the harder it becomes. It took me over a year before I finally had everybody on board to allow me to paint the costumes from The Phantom of the Opera. But I made some friends along the way.

 

Flash of Mauve, Splash of Puce (Phantom of the Opera)

One of those friends worked at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company, the “Really Useful Group” (the RUG). I’d painted a few of the costumes from the Phantom when I was invited to do the solo show in New York at Bernarducci Gallery.

 

Christine’s Masquerade (Phantom of the Opera)

Not long before the show, I find out that my new friend was leaving the RUG in London and starting a new position in New York. So I sent him a couple of images of my new Phantom paintings and invited him to my opening.

 

Curl of lip, swirl of gown (Phantom of the Opera)

He wrote back to me complimenting me on my work and suggested how lovely it would be to paint from The Lion King. I jokingly replied, “do you remember how difficult it was for me to get permission to paint from the Phantom!”

But he came back to me saying that he’s friends with Tom Schumacher and he’ll bring him along to my show!

Now Tom is the president of Disney Theatrical, and I was amazed to think he might come to my show. But he did come, he was very friendly and very complimentary for my work. He told me he was working on some ideas for the Lion King’s 20th anniversary coming up in London, and seeing my paintings made him think of more possibilities. He told me that he would be in touch.

Needless to say, I was contacted soon after, and then things started moving quickly. I didn’t have a great deal of time, about 2 months, to produce a large painting (60”x60”) from scratch. I had to travel to Toronto to take photographs of the costumes. It was originally going to be back in New York, but they had a burst pipe and had to re-schedule.

So they looked after me well, paid for my travelling and put me up in a hotel. They brought me and my wife, who is also my assistant, to see the show, and the next morning it was all set up for us to take our photographs, which took most of the day.

It took a while to find the best composition, I played around a lot in Photoshop until I came up with something that worked both aesthetically and for the cover format. It also needed to have the stars and main character’s costumes depicted, and above all, have to please Disney.

I didn’t know at first, that it was going to be placed on the cover of their “Behind the Curtain” brochure. I don’t think I realised until I took a trip to New York to deliver the painting. They were all very nice when I visited their headquarters. They showed me around the building and presented me with a special limited edition of their 20 th anniversary book, signed by Tom Schumacher. And then they showed me a mock-up of the brochure cover with my painting! It was more than I had hoped for.

We were lucky enough to be in London for the anniversary, it was quite a big thing, with posters and promotions everywhere we went.

And now I believe the original painting is hanging in the lobby at their headquarters.

I also had permission to produce one more painting from the show. It is quite a special painting as neither I, nor any other artist, has permission to paint anything else from the show. It’s a larger painting and is now in a private collection.

When I entered the world of scenic painting, it’s a very different world. You’re never your own boss. If you’re not working for a head painter then you’re working for the designer. I started out in theatre working in London. I worked for a highly respected scenic artist couple painting sets and backdrops for companies like the Royal Opera House or Disney.

You have to employ so many diverse techniques for large scale works, often wielding brooms and mops instead of small brushes. But working for and with other people, you learn so many different ways to create similar effects, and some of these techniques can be applied to the small canvas.

 

 

 

I’ve learned to be more open and flexible in my approach to a painting. And my style has evolved from my scenic work. I paint quite loosely, and slowly pull out the details, tightening up the image until I feel happy. I don’t want to hide the fact that it’s a painting. I always want people to see, on closer inspection, the brushwork and how it’s painted. But when you stand back, it starts to look more photographic.

It’s a similar style to scenic painting for films. Backdrops need to be photo-realistic for a movie, but we need to paint it very fast. So we learn to paint quick and loose but you need a good eye to see how it will look from afar. Most often we are walking on the canvas and you cannot simply step back to see the whole image. So it can look extremely crude up close but when it is hung on set it has that realism for the
camera.

The imagery in theatre is controlled so much by lighting. When you watch a piece of theatre, it’s often like watching a painting come to life. Each scene can be frozen and enjoyed as a work of art in itself. In some ways theatre is more visual that cinema which is more often dependent on storyline. Not always of course, but generally speaking I’m more influenced by the visual imagery in theatre which can be very “chiaroscuro”.

I’m influenced by several artists whom I’ve admired since I was very young. Particularly the masters of chiaroscuro, such as Caravaggio and Joseph Wright of Derby, and some of the Dutch masters. I used to stare at “An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump” for many hours. An incredible composition, everything is so balanced. Whenever I’m back in London I visit the National Gallery, staring at this painting once more.

I really enjoy painting larger canvases. They take a lot of time but I do love the “immersion” that they give, you can “walk into them”.

I’ve always wanted to paint large. It helps when you’re also a scenic artist. In film and theatre you can really paint big! One film I worked with a team of 3 others to paint a forest scene almost 60 metres wide! You can also paint “looser” on a large canvas, which fits my preferred style. Not as extreme as scenic painting but I still like the crudeness up close, so the viewer can study the technique. As you step back it becomes more photographic.

When painting small, you know the viewer will be very close to the image, so I feel the need to put much finer detail into it, thus my style changes.

 

 

Passion Écarlate (Thierry Mugler Collection)

I’m fortunate that I have a very positive outlook. But I know many artists are not like this. Failures are part of life. There are enough quotes from successful people saying that failures are the foundation of success. But it is true. Failure is a part of learning. I’ve been rejected by many galleries. Not recently I admit, but when I was starting out it was common. I am self-taught, and some galleries can be quite snob.

I’ve been told how amateur my work was, and how unskilled. It can hurt, but it didn’t stop me. I look back at all my earlier work and always feel I could do much better now. We never stop evolving and improving. We build on all of our past experience and never stop learning.

I’m better than I was five years ago, but I’m not as good as I will be in five years hence. We’re all a work- in-progress. Sometimes people and galleries don’t consider you a “qualified” artist if you are “self-taught”. But there are many very famous artists who are self-taught.

It’s sometimes hard to know when to stop a painting. I’ve known people who work for months, but I thought the painting was complete after two weeks! I sometimes feel they’ve over-worked it and they’ve lost much of the beautiful spontaneity. It’s a personal thing, but sometimes we need to give ourselves deadlines.

If we still struggle, it can help to take a break. I then find myself putting a work away for weeks, months, sometimes years. When I look at it again, I often see it with new eyes. I see my faults, and I often can easily improve and complete it. Whereas, originally I might have been struggling. We can become blind to it if we’re staring at it for weeks on end. Put it away, and then look at it later with fresh eyes.

I always have several paintings on the go. So when I feel I’m not progressing on one, I can move onto another painting. That’s my way of taking a break!

Currently I have a small painting that will be part of the 25 year celebrations for ArteLibre. Based in Spain, but the show will open in New York at the Atlantic Gallery from July 15th to August 2nd 2025, then it travels to Zaragoza in Spain.

I’m also still painting some of Sir Brian May’s private collection. Having only completed two pieces so far, I have a lot more to do! I am also a part of an important tribute celebrating Canada’s most famous choreographer and artistic director, Fernand Nault.

I’ve painted a few pieces from his most famous shows, Carmina Burana, Tommy, the rock ballet, and The Nutcracker which has been playing in Montréal since the 60’s.

 

Primo Vere (Fernand Nault’s Carmina Burana)

My paintings are part of a touring show which include works by three other artists (sculpture, models and photography) as well as some of the original costumes from the shows.

This is a big collaboration, and I couldn’t have been a part of it without the agreement of many people. So I need to thank Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Valérie Barbeau, daughter of François Barbeau, the incredible costume designer, and Fonds chorégraphique Fernand Nault, to have given me permission to
create these paintings, here is the link: fcfn.ca

 

Lepage’s Macbeth

 

And, of course, I continue to paint more from Zandra Rhodes collection, as well as more from the Phantom of the Opera, and more shows from the Stratford Festival, and more exciting projects that I can’t talk about just yet! But hoping to have a meeting in Madrid this year about another collaboration 😉

– Chris Klein

www.chrisklein.com