Abstract

The Circus & the Pimp's Jalopy is a multimedia installation set in the theatre-like scene of a shadowy forest clearing. Using a collage of chlichéd pop culture experiences (circus waltzes, crowd sounds, popcorn smells, costumed performers) to quickly communicate a carnival atmosphere the piece works to create a space that is both achingly familiar and unsettlingly foreign. Objects and performers repeat strange behavioural loops using familiar items in new contexts. What can it all mean? How does perception structure experience? The work seeks to intrigue viewers into a heightened sense of the present as they become conscious discerners of their immediate surroundings.