This piece was created for the exhibit "A Circus Show & Other Atrocities" at A Bitchin' Space Gallery in Sacramento, CA. The exhibit juxtaposed the dark, painful lives of performing animals with the fun, amusing atmosphere of the carnival. In doing research for my contribution, I found some incredibly disturbing video footage of elephants being stabbed with hooks by their trainers. 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 looming in the background.

Medium: Painting Oil
Surface: Panel, unframed with painted edges
Width: 9 inches
Height: 12 inches
Depth: 1 inches

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©2009 Paul Richmond