Ali’s latest commission, a stunning silk installation for the Royal Opera House, is of personal significance as her mother was once a prima ballerina there in the 1950s.
The installation takes the form of 12 huge silk banners that together form a visual history of the Royal Opera House. Each of the 11m long banners focuses on a different element of the Royal Opera House’s past and present, from the evolving architecture of its three theatres to its world-renowned productions of opera and ballet, to the people that make them happen.
The silks took almost 750 hours to wax and paint, with a team of volunteers working at Kinetika’s studios at High House Production Park, next door to the Royal Opera House’s new Production and Design studios in Thurrock.
The installation hung in the magnificent vaulted glass ceiling of the Paul Hamlyn Hall at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London during the Deloitte Ignite Festival in September 2015.
Designer: Ali Pretty
Associate Designer: Mark Forrest
Assisting Artists: Jacci Todd, Julie Kalache
Sewing and Finishing: Kitty Power, Hazel Corcoran
Volunteers: Beryl Blackmore, Alex Block, Linsey Block, Lois Critchell, Lydia Crossey, John DeRome, Maureen DeRome, Jane Ford, Maddy Ford, Margaret Hall, Ayumi Hashayi, Jane Lock, Sylvia Outram, Lesley Robinson, Angela Saville, Catherine Simpson, Deana Tyson, Martin Tyson, Annie Weston.
“The opportunity to work with an artist of Ali Pretty’s calibre and creativity on a collaborative project was a great experience. It is wonderful to see the archives and objects from the ROH Collections being interpreted in such a vibrant and imaginative way. The scale and splendour of the design gives the story real impact. We hope that visitors to the Deloitte Ignite festival and future events will enjoy the visual spectacle and be inspired to learn more about the heritage of the Royal Opera House.” Julia Creed, Head of Collection – Royal Opera House
