Into the shoe of Judey Woo

Last Days at the Circus (2008-10)

Bring on the fat lady circus performers, maybe not your usual lithe lady athlete but possibly twice the woman...?

Welcome (Gentle)men!

with more than a nod to the comedy of Beryl Cook and the illustrative style of traditional scenic artists of travelling circus and cabaret shows.

'Keep your eye on the ring'

The many demands on women - expectations of child rearing, career development, with the perfect body and looks - appear to keep contemporary women focused and require great skill (and their freedom?)...

'The Human Anvil'

Bertram Mills's Travelling Circus of 1930's provided hours of day dreaming for these images - one of the first and most famous circuses of its time. At one time a famous strong woman provided an act where she 'performed feats of strength ... was wrapped in chains, broke free and was used as a human anvil'.

'A gap in the performance'

An empty stage and a woman considers her role upon it.

MuM

One day I realised I was the same age as my mother when she gave birth to my older brother.

Pigeon Lady Dove Lady

The elegant and desirable Pigeon Lady from Bertram Mills' Circus is not disturbed by her shadowy audience awed to silence as they watch her letting go.

Outside the tent

Three metaphorical images of the exposure in performance, the sense of loss as the show is over & the search for new horizons as the circus moves on...

'there's no more to see'

'show's over'

'time to move on'

Bye bye Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus's B&W photos of people pushing or inhabiting the edges of society were exhibited in Edinburgh earlier this year - best exhibition i have seen there. Some of the images seem to have been burnt into my mind's eye.
... No prizes for guessing which images inspired these...