The Circus Show & Other Atrocities

In doing research for my contribution, I found some incredibly disturbing video footage of elephants being stabbed with hooks by their trainers, and read about a multitude of other ways in which performing animals are mistreated. I had to approach the piece from an angle that I could relate to, so in addition to an elephant, circus tents, whips, and other more literal references, my tortured animal’s pain is masked by a vibrant splash of drag-queen make-up mimicking that of the ominous clownish, drag queen/ringmaster face (a.k.a my friend Mary on one of our infamous nights of "glamour" shots) looming in the background.

For more info about the exhibit, check out: A Bitchin' Space
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