Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. 2007. Directed by Tim Burton
The MoMA of New York is celebrating the work of Dante Ferretti - the award-winning Italian production designer who has worked with directors of the caliber of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, Terry Gilliam, Franco Zeffirelli, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Tim Burton - with two solo exhibitions: “Dante Ferretti: Design and Construction for the Cinema” and the film exhibition “Dante Ferretti: Designing for the Big Screen”. “Design and Construction for the Cinema” examines design practice for film through the lens of Ferretti’s work. The center of the exhibition is a large labyrinth of screens onto which are projected highlights from his film work. Sketches, drawings, and design objects are installed through three floors to further illuminate the artistic skill of this master of the craft. Inspired by the traditions of classical Italian cinema, Ferretti’s work is most effectively viewed as it was originally intended: on the big screen. That’s why a selection of 22 films will be screened as part of the “Designing for the Big Screen” exhibition. A key characteristic of his approach, especially when working with Pasolini, Fellini and Scorsese, is his practice of conceiving a single set piece intended to stimulate the director’s imagination and crystallize the visual style and character of the film. Some of Ferretti's most famous films include Fellini’s "La città delle donne", "E la nave va", "The name of the rose", "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", "The Age of the Innocence", "Interview with the Vampire", "Gangs of New York " and "The black Dahlia". Over more than four decades of innovative, distinguished design work on more than 50 films, Ferretti has received numerous awards, including three Academy Awards (“The Aviator”, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “Hugo”), three British BAFTAs, and several Italian David Di Donatello awards. Ferretti was born in Macerata (Marche) in 1943 and is married to set decorator Francesca Lo Schiavo with whom he has collaborated on many films. Ferretti's next projects include "Cinderella" directed by Kenneth Branagh and Frank Sinatra's biopic "Sinatra" directed by Scorsese. It has been reported that Ferretti has been invited to the White House to meet with President Obama and first lady Michelle in mid-October. Both exhibitions close February 9, 2014.
