Circus Artist.

This work was part of an art project from 2011 - 2013.

Circus artists and acrobats.

They all need a stage for their performances to impress us with their abilities. The life of an artist is not always easy, and only those who are able to see behind the curtain can learn more about it.  As part of an art project, I had a chance to look behind the curtain and have been impressed by the hardship circus artists & acrobats have to endure.

In order to show my admiration for this extraordinary profession, and for the implementation of my idea for the art project, and in order to represent our acting artists in a proper setting, I had to build a stage on set. There was a personal story that was leading me to the implementation of these images, which began years before when I was traveling in New Zealand.

And this is the story.

I had rented a room in a house a little bit outside of Auckland, as my base for travels around the Islands. Right across the house was a free lawn field, that I would walk by every day, to get my morning coffee at the beach hut sitting right by the ocean. One morning the Circus was in town and I could see less than a handful of people, advancing the superstructures of the circus. Among them was a woman with her little child at her side, in its stroller. I took a picture.

I was walking past day for day, as the tent was set up. One day on my way back to the house I was approached by this lady. She had seen that I had stopped again and again to take one or two pictures. She said, "You seem to be interested in us. We'll open in a few days, come by. I'm a trapeze artist and on the show. We would be delighted. " I thanked her and said, maybe I will and continued walking back in direction of the house.

That same afternoon, I met the woman again. This time she stood on the roadside in the small town, to earn a little extra money for herself or maybe the circus itself. She was standing there in front of a little drum, which she operated with one foot, a violin in her hands, on which she played, a wood puppet leaping to the beat, that she had mounted to her hip, her child in the stroller in front of her, which she cautiously rocked with skill, when she did not operate the drum at the moment, and a hat in front of her for some money to be dropped in. What an incredible sight this was. I felt sorry for her, but at the same time, have I been very impressed by this woman. A mother, artist, construction worker, and musician all at one, standing here on the roadside to improve her salary a little bid, after all the strains she already endured during the day, while working on the construction site, building the tent and the infrastructure of the circus. This image didn't get out of my mind anymore. This was a very small town with only a few people walking the streets. So the chances of making some money were very slim.

I hesitated while walking past. I wanted to go back and photograph this scene. It would have been already a great image in itself, but then I couldn't. I had too much respect for this woman, and was afraid, that if I take out my camera and shoot a picture of her standing there, she would maybe feel robbed or humiliated.  I didn't want to hurt her in any way. So I went on.

When I started working on the series of the circus artist for the art project, I was creating my images around this unforgettable impression of the circus lady on the side of the street, which I still had in my head, and was always with me.  Years have passed until the day when I was able to transform the image in my head, the imprint of this incredible scene, into my work.

Manfred Ehrenlechner

Copyright: Manfred Ehrenlechner Photography / Photoworks-Manfredi
Photographer: Manfred Ehrenlechner
Hair & Make-Up Artist: Silvia Rupp
Model: Silas Einhorn
Aerial Artist and Model: Christina Wintz
Kulissenbau: Team Photoworks

FINE ART. SALE

Framed Photography "Gaukler"

Photographer Manfred Ehrenlechner,
Germany

Kodak Pro Endura Photo Print
Print 133 cm x 95 cm

Numbered and signed
Limited edition 7 + 2AP

High quality frame from Larson-Juhl

Price € 3,375.00

The shipping of this framed art work will be carefully planned, and send out in a dedicated wooden box placed for protection.

Please contact us for further shipping details, payment and return policies.

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FINE ART. SALE

Framed Photography "Circus Director"

Photographer Manfred Ehrenlechner,
Germany

Kodak Pro Endura Photo Print
Print 133 cm x 95 cm

Numbered and signed
Limited edition 7 + 2AP

High quality frame from Larson-Juhl

Price € 3,375.00

The shipping of this framed art work will be carefully planned, and send out in a dedicated wooden box placed for protection.

Please contact us for further shipping details, payment and return policies.