Circus Sarasota: Pedro Reis
Artist
R. Luke DuBois
(American, born 1975)
Date2014
MediumHigh-definition single-channel generative video with sound
Dimensions26 15/16 × 42 15/16 × 9 7/16 in. (68.4 × 109.1 × 24 cm)
ClassificationsDigital Art
Credit LineCommissioned by The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 2014
Object numberSN11393.5
This is one of five portraits of contemporary circus artists which are the latest investigation of performance portraiture by Luke DuBois. Given complete artistic freedom to select the subject of the commissioned work, he quickly settled on the contemporary circus performer because of the obvious importance to the Ringling legacy and the subject’s relevance to his own practice. Partnering with Circus Sarasota, a branch of The Circus Arts Conservatory, DuBois directed an extensive film shoot on the grounds of The Ringling and in The Historic Asolo Theater, tying together our shared histories through contemporary techniques.
Here, each performer is presented in a multi-shot collage of performance. Filmed in high-definition video and slowed considerably in playback, individual details of the artistry not seen by the naked eye become focal points of interest. The works are interactive in that motion sensors detect the viewer’s movement and the video scrubs, advances or rewinds, accordingly giving the viewer an active role in the experience.
The multi-framed, multi-shot style of Circus Sarasota is based on DuBois’ research conducted in The Ringling archives over the course of a year-long residency. This presentation is reminiscent of late-19th- and early 20th-century circus advertising posters, particularly those produced by the Strobridge Lithographing Company found in our collection. Here the contemporary pays homage to the great historic lineage of circus visual culture.
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