Karen Maness is the principal instructor of scenic art and
figurative painting for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the
University of Texas at Austin, and Scenic Art Supervisor at Texas
Performing Arts. Maness studied studio art and set design at
Whittier College in Los Angeles, California and continued her
studies at Cobalt Studios in White Lake, New York, and The Florence
Academy of Art in Italy. Her career as a scenic artist and
practicing studio artist spans more than twenty-five years, with
works held in private collections worldwide.
Richard Isackes is currently a professor of theater at the
University of Texas at Austin. Isackes has designed extensively in
both regional theater and opera and has twice been the recipient of
the Boston Circle Critics award for best scene design. Formerly a
member of the faculties of Bucknell University, Boston University
and the University of Illinois, he currently holds the Joanne
Sharpe Crosby Chair in Design and Technology at the University of
Texas where he served as Chair of the Department of Theatre and
Dance from 1998 to 2006.
“The best book written about one of our crafts . . . ever.”
—Perspective: The Journal of the Art Directors Guild
“To turn the pages of this book is to feel like you’ve entered a
legendary treasure house filled with magnificent images, paintings
that fooled the eye.” —Los Angeles Times
“A welcome reminder of how the movies managed to summon their most
magical worlds from pigments and brushstrokes.” —New York
magazine
“In The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop . . . the unsung artists who
created some of cinema’s most enduring images take a long-overdue
bow.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Pays homage to the trompe l’oeil that created some of film’s most
iconic settings.” —The Hollywood Reporter
"Reveals a facet of moviemaking that even savvy film buffs may not
know about . . . You will be amazed, as I was, at the number of
familiar scenes from films as varied as The Wizard of Oz, North by
Northwest, and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
that make use of these canvases . . . This is truly an eye-opening
book and a valuable contribution to our understanding of how movies
are created."
—Leonard Maltin
"The fascinating scenic work documented so gorgeously here is vivid
testimony to the critical role of the artist in the creation of
expressive, immersive narrative environments throughout the history
of cinema. We can begin to appreciate perhaps what we are now
losing: the hand of the artist illuminated by the cinematographer’s
light and captured on camera at the moment of performance."
—Rick Heinrichs, Academy Award–winning production designer
of Sleepy Hollow
“What a pleasure it is to see this book being published. Now, the
filmgoer can see for themselves one of the great and beautiful
mysteries of film creation. This book shows it all.”
—Dean Tavoularis, Academy Award–winning production designer
of The Godfather: Part II
“To see all my heroes in one book and look inside this
enchanting world is extraordinary. A truly inspiring
book.”
—Jess Gonchor, Production Designer of True Grit, No
Country for Old Men, and Hail, Caesar!
"What an astonishing achievement this spectacular volume is!
It’s an amazing treat that we, who love the
movies, are being presented with. Massive congratulations are due
to all who contributed to making this 'dream-work' such a totally
absorbing reality.”
—Tony Walton, Academy Award–winning production designer of All
That Jazz
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