Friday, November 2, 2007

Sweet Spot



The place that exists on the the trapeze is a very small, geographical print but a huge experiential area. The bar is a thin line in the middle of the sky. The view, both literally and internally is unmeasurable. It thus exists as an actual place like the studio. I have a trapeze in both my studios and that place is the best place in each space. To sit in the middle of everything (which is how it feels when one is up) is both akin to the womb and outer space. The air, although it will not support you, envelopes you in a transparent allowance.
That place is both familiar and unforgiving.
Choosing to be there, either trapeze or studio, is a good reason to get up in the morning.

1 comment:

Larry Hedrick said...

Goodness, Mia, I think you've never really come down off that high bar! You're the first trapeze artist I've ever known, though I seem to have done some fixating on this kind of entertainment as an adolescent, for I can still vaguely visualize bits of the movie "Trapeze" (1956).

To refresh my memory I checked out the NYT movies site and read this summary review:

"Former circus aerialist Burt Lancaster was the logical choice to star in the Technicolor drama 'Trapeze.' Lancaster plays a crippled acrobat, disabled after attempting to perform a dangerous triple mid-air somersault. Tony Curtis co-stars as an aspiring aerialist who coerces Lancaster into teaching him the tricks of the trade. The friendship between Lancaster and Curtis is threatened by the arrival of beautiful, ambitious circus tumbler Gina Lollobridgida (it's a toss-up as to which of the three stars looks best in spangled tights). Surprisingly, Lancaster's former circus partner Nick Cravat is nowhere to be found in the film; we are, however, treated to the harmonica virtuosity of Johnny Puleo. 'Trapeze' is highlighted by its truly breathtaking stunt sequences, performed by the cream of the European big-top circuit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide"

Obviously, I'm going to have to watch this flick again in order to get a better fix on the kind of aerializing you used to do, Mia.