Circus Life: Art and Artistes ^expired Free

The Academy of Circus Arts and Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre present
Circus Life: Art and Artistes.
The art form of circus was invented by impresario and trick horse rider Philip Astley in London in 1768. Its skills, traditions and iconography, as well as the multi-generational, self-sustaining global community of performers who dedicate their lives to it, have provided inspiration for the work of artists including Seurat, Renoir, Degas and Picasso.
This new exhibition celebrates the 250th anniversary of Astley's remarkable creation; investigating circus' continuing appeal as a subject for visual artists through the eyes of recent and contemporary British practitioners. Their work has captured the people, places and performances which combine to make circus a uniquely practice-enabling way of life as well as a universally accessible form of live entertainment. It will feature paintings, drawings, photographs, ceramics and sculpture by artists currently working alongside the circus community, including Peter Lavery, Kate Stone, John Stillman, Abel Kesteven and Curtis Tappenden; as well as prints by Laura Knight, and pieces by Clarice Cliff and Clifford Hall.
The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks, discussions and film showings, details of which can be found on the gallery’s website.
Monday-Friday: 10am-8pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Image credit: Peter Lavery Circus Work 1968-2018