Christian Tagliavini: Circesque

Hardcover | 24.13 x 2.54 x 26.92 cm | 96 pp

teNeues | 2023 | 9783961715374

Christian Tagliavini uniquely combines craft, photography and stage design. Circesque is a celebration of an idea he had in 2008 and resulted in this photographic series produced in 2019. Exploring the world of the circus, this book is a unique invitation for the reader to form their own stories through exquisitely detailed costumes, unexpected props, and a glimpse of the people behind the greasepaint and powder. 

Circesque, explores the untold lives of circus folk. Stripped of the tired clichés of circus life, these mise-en-scène portraits reveal the human behind the archetype. The images betray the protagonists’ innermost feelings as they mount the platform, put themselves on the line, and take the risk: all under the watchful eye of their audience.

Acrobats. Trapezists. High-wire performers. Escape artists. Tattooed ladies. Jugglers. Nature-defying contortionists. All present and accounted for as in any traditional Big Top. But a closer look reveals some unusual details.

The book also includes a section - Imagainaria - offering a glimpse behind the scenes of the project including concept drawings for the costumes and sets.