EXAGGERATION & FANTASY

“Send In The Clown”

BY SUNA MOYA - 2 AUGUST 2021

EXAGGERATION & FANTASY “Send In The Clown”

T hey say that the circus dates back to the 6th century BC and originated in Ancient Rome, where they were used for chariot races and fights. It was said that the open-air stadium could accommodate up to 250,000 spectators, both rich and poor families would rush to the arena to attend the spectacle. The stadiums were also a location for mass entertainment which very quickly spawned a whole host of events.

With the arrival of the modern circus appeared the clown. You probably can't imagine a circus without some sort of clown that comic character of pantomime and circus. The idea of the clown is one that has been around for thousands of years and has shown up throughout time in cultures all over the world. The earliest ancestors of the clown appeared in ancient Egypt´s fifth dynasty around 2400 BC. Clowns have been with the modern circus since its beginning. They are a necessary part of the act and it is their job to bring on the waves of laughter and joy into the world through exaggeration and fantasy. They are known for their distinctive makeup and costumes, with their ludicrous gestures, and their playful buffoonery. But what really is behind the mask?

Today's clowns have joined the fashion world which has many iconic looks that could be inspired by costumes from the circus... Our editorial brings us to that universe where fashion encounters exaggeration and fantasy, an explosion of colours and shapes.

“Excitement is a rebellion, a spectacle of fashion, which is absolutely compelling to watch.”

— Suna Moya

EXAGGERATION & FANTASY “SEND IN THE CLOWN”

Circus of Souls

I never liked the circus. It was only a curiosity of what lay in that huge white and red stripy tent that enabled me to be dragged in by my mother as a reluctant six-year-old. I could not believe the animals were happy, and I often thought I spotted a solitary tear in the elephant’s eye and a downward turn in the lion’s mouth. Why do people in circuses paint their faces like this? Is it to hide their inhumanity? Are they even human? In this visual narrative, I recreated the feelings I have for the circus in a visual story about a single performer. She lures children in with her lovely smiles and engaging eyes, but she is not what the children expect. There are no other performers in the circus. It’s all ramshackle and tatty, and the children never leave…