Wednesday, August 5, 2009

friends behind glass / dreaming in trapeze

I had to return to the de Young one more time before I left and fortunately, yesterday was the first Tuesday of the month— a free admission day. It felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends; I have come to know the museum and its inhabitants well over the past four years. I recognise and am familiar with many brushstrokes, chisel marks and cracks. Here are some images of my most favourite pieces, cropped in and close-up. I would have included more African, Mayan and Oceanic art pieces, but they are all behind glass and the reflections were too distracting on camera.


I took a walk through the park to Circus Center, where I was learning static trapeze, for a visit with my teacher, to whom I owe a lot. I have always dreamt of becoming a trapeze artist, ever since I went to the circus as a little girl; the ladies that flew like birds above my head so enchanted me that I longed to join them. I hung upside-down on monkey bars in playgrounds, swinging from my knees to emulate them, and still to this day maintain an attraction to sequins and glitter.


I discovered Circus Center about a year after I moved to SF, but constantly came up with excuses not to join (as we do when we get older)— it's too expensive, I'm too busy, etc. Then one day I realised there was no point in not doing it, and signed up. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made— there's nothing like fulfilling a dream, even a tiny bit of it. My only regret is that I had to stop to move to Istanbul, and I have yet to find a place to continue in. I miss trapezing terribly, and dream about swinging and twirling around just about every other night.

This is me last year at Circus Center.

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