From the place of action to the space of meaning: Ch. Gungaasukh’s work and his role in the development of scenography art in Mongolia in the last third of the 20th century

Abstract

This article examines the creative activity of the outstanding artist and scenographer, People’s Artist Ch. Gungaasukh and analyses his great role in the development of theatrical and decorative art in Mongolia. The basis for this art-historical study is formed by the extensive material of art, which is kept in the Theatre Museum in Ulaanbaatar and is still not fully known to specialists. The throughout analysis of the sketches allows us to conclude that the work by Ch. Gungaasukh played a decisive role in the dissemination of the modernist principles in the sphere of the theatre decorative painting on Mongolian 20th century scene. These principles were based on the completely new understanding of the spatial organization of the scene. Their consideration gives us an opportunity to conclude that the artistic techniques used by Ch. Gungaasukh were intended to enhance the expressive potential of the stage design, turning the pictorial image into the most important meaningful factor of the theatrical performance. In addition, the work by this artist played a crucial role in the process of establishing the national subject matter on Mongolian scene of the 1970s and 1980s, thus anticipating the most important trends in the development of Mongolian modern art.