i’ve been thinking about the relationship between making a solo trapeze piece and self-portrait photography.

for the trapeze piece i’m making i decided to wear white bloomers and a white tank top (though they will have colored crochet pieces embellishing them). it’s the same costume i wore for a series of self portraits five years ago.

and while this video frame is not indicative, i think the trapeze piece creates a similar mood to those old photos.

it’s a peacefulness, an innocence, and a certain amount of twee. i’m surprised to realize that i’m making the same thing now as i was then. i’m surprised to see how, in both cases, it’s about evoking a mood or emotion without words, through the use of costume, scenery, props, body position, lighting. i never thought of them as connected for me personally.

i have been trying to understand what i can give the audience as a solo performer. unlike the ensemble work i’ve done over the past couple years, i can’t perform love, trust, support, and lack of these things by the way i interact with another person.

my point is a little fuzzy given that the 2004 photo above IS with another person. but these are the same issues i grappled with when i was doing a lot of self-portrait photography. the why, so what, and what are my options?