Circus Days

An orchestrated riot of trivial entertainment smothered in the stigmas surrounding the travelling communities and there presumed behaviour, have been frequently targeted by artists from various disciplines, in particular photography.

Jill Freedman- Circus Days (1971)

Leeds Galleries, ‘The Series of Artworks Carefully Arranged’ considers the way in which particular performances mimic and exaggerate situations from every day life, enabling us to begin to understand reality from a distanced perspective. The pieces of artwork ...

‘aim to highlight the way familiar objects, images and stories, as well as the grotesque, unknown and peculiar, can allow us to confront deep and uncomfortable truths.’  

John Byam Shaw- Such is Life (1907)

John Byam Shaw’s, ‘Such is Life’, incorporates all aspects of the collections concept which I believe is the reasoning behind its prominent positioning in relation to the other pieces. It demonstrates how performance can mimic and exaggerate everyday life. Initially the characters consisting of dancers and clowns seem to be linked through the general theme of performance which are brought together to capture a snippet of a story. The main focus of the image appears to be the tender and intimate moment shared between the two dancers in the foreground, however the affectionate atmosphere is significantly transformed by the presence of the two laughing clowns. The atmosphere is now uneasy and the painting almost becomes a representation of embarrassment which is then exaggerated by the uniformed policemen lurking in the shadows, barely noticeable. Similarly to the divided perspective of the circus atmosphere we have by society today the painting also travels from moments of disturbance to alterative moments of compassion.

Until reading the information available I didn’t notice the text positioned discreetly above the clowns disguised in the form of an advertisement poster reading, ‘Scandal’. In my opinion I felt possibly the use of text could have been more effective if used more discrete, or in a degree which was less obviously descriptive of the situation.

‘I believe this painting illustrates the consequences of petty gossip and mankind’s instinct to want to know everything about everyone.’  

The diagram demonstrates the hierarchy of the characters established by the use of composition and contrasting tones. Usually the characters which are raised above others are the desired focal point of the image, however due to the use of a stronger light source upon the intimate couple the focal point of the image is shifted.



Both Bruce Davidson and Jill Freedman took performance related imagery particularly focusing on the diverse characters of the circus community, some images of which are uncannily similar.

Jill Freedman- Time Out

During the 1970’s Jill Freedman whilst living in a beat-up white Volkswagen bus followed the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus as it travelled from upstate New York to Cincinnati producing a range of images straight out of a Fellini film.

Bruce Davidson, eleven years prior to the photography exhibited by Jill Freedman, documented his profound interest in the unexposed daily lives of the circus people, in particular an intimate series of a dwarf clown.  

‘Davidson’s poetic and profound eye reveals not only the circus that is passing away, but takes us through what could be called the eternal circus.’

 Both Freedman and Davidson shot photographs of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus, however Davidson in addition to this recorded images from two very different Amercian circus’ across a decade in the mid-twentieth century. This change in individuals of similar surroundings throughout the decade was able to alter his photographic perspective. In 1958 Davidson viewed the performance of the famous lion tamer Clyde Beatty and human- cannonball Hugo Zacchini from the top of the performance tent. In 1965 at a multi ring coliseum show, Davidson took a more critical look at performances under a steel and concrete environment which resulted him a sharper more surreal outlook and outcome. Finally, in 1967 Davidson caught the elegant exuberance of an Irish one-ring circus in which he strived to capture the true essence of the circus, including an eye-to-eye encounter with an exceptional trapeze artist made from a perch at the top of the tent.

Bruce Davidson- The Dwalf (1958)

The photograph above is one of many featuring the dwarf-clown Jimmy Armstrong who is the focal point of the image demonstrated by the foreground placement against the excluded clients in the background. The slightly blurry cropped individuals in the background appear to be laughing at Jimmy Armstrong, which appears ironic due to the nature of his occupation. The audience empathises with Jimmy as he evokes emotions of rejection and loneliness conveyed by his facial expression, similar to the mask of paint veiling his emotions during the performance of a clown.

New Perspectives

West Block: Comparable to an abstract painting this particular photograph features vibrant contrasting colours created by weathering, resulting in flakes of burnt oranges of rust against the vivid shades of blue paint.

Main Entrance: I particularly like the deceptive perspective of the exterior building leading the eye to a focal point which appears to be further then in reality. The architectural success of the aged exterior’s juxtaposition to the panelled glass is an effective collision of surfaces which I believe is demonstrated in this image.

Library Hallway: The diminishing hallway creates an almost water like reflection in the flooring. On first glance the audience is unable to see the faint figure emerging from the darkness due to the strong contrasting tones of the vibrant red against the black shadows which I feel adds a complexity to the image.



Bill Jackson: Sense of Paper

‘Imaginary people’ is a series of inspired compositions veiling Jacksons absent portraits, which individually evoke complex narratives representational of his imagination.

'Think for a moment what paper means to people. How ubiquitous it is in everyday life.....A material of paradoxes, it can be used and abused in a thousand ways and still be the same under its skin. It is the embodiment of man's achievement , yet it is as transient and as flimsy tissue....In its strengths and weaknesses, faults and flaws, it is intensely human....' - Taylour Holden

Primarily produced from tailoring paper dress patterns in addition to collected notes and crumpled tissues the pieces were pinned together and hauled into position by hooks, threads and pulleys to become the perfect models displayed in the documentational photographs.

'Compliant to any length of exposure and never doubting the artist's intentions these imaginary people hold our gaze with the intensity and presence of a samurai warrior.'

After previously taking an interest in artists who utilise old books and discarded materials as a vehicle for memory conveyance the creative interpretation of these similar materials produced by Bill Jackson has personally become more comprehensible. The ‘Imaginary people’ series’ relevance applies to both the materials used within 3D skills and the application of the pieces produced within textiles.  

Jill Freedman: “The city falling apart"

"Rage," 1978. "The city falling apart," Ms. Freedman, 68, said of that era. "It was great. I used to love to throw the camera over my shoulder and hit the street."

‘Jill Freedman influenced by the Modernist documentarian Andre Kertesz with references to the hard-edged, black and white works of Weegee and Diane Arbus, captured raw and intimate images, and transformed urban scenes into theatrical dramas.’

Freedmans, ‘Love Kills’ is comparable to the work exhibited by Bruce Davidson who documented a diverse cross section of city residents riding the New York Subway across the metropolis during the 1980’s. Similarly Bruce Davidson and Jill Freedman targeted struggling individuals of the blemished fallen apple New York had become during the 1970’s and early 1980’s. However despite both photographers displaying work of almost identical subject matter the emotional response evoked within the audience in my opinion could not be more dissimilar.

Bruce Davidson, 1980

USA. New York City. 1980. Subway.

The contrasting monochrome tones featured in ‘Love Kills’ creates a dynamic image emphasising the narrative of the individuals themselves by simplifying there surroundings, where as Bruce Davidson used a significant expanse of darkness to emphasis the depth of the photograph highlighting individuals within the foreground. For Davidson the emerging expanse of darkness is a point of interest,

'as the train moves into the tunnel, fluorescing lights reach into the gloom and trapped inside we all hang on together.'

 Whether intentional the background is a physical representation of the society New York citizens were imprisoned within, a time defined by violence, poverty and disarray.

Faces going places...

‘Faces going places…’ the art of capturing an unsuspecting individual in search for a representation of the public of Chesterfield town in response to the photography by Martin Parr. The characters captured intentionally enforce the stereotype associated with the equally aged surroundings. Despite being frowned upon, in order to capture a person’s persona without the forced intent to alter the perception of others, photographs are most effective when the subject is oblivious to the camera.