Alicia Goodwin
Mexican Presidents, 2012 | $750 Print, $950 Framed | Edition 3 of 25
Selections from a Series: Circo Madagascar
In February 2012, I met an Aztec family of five who were running a small Mexican circus around the Southern Yucatan peninsula. They were setting up their tent for a performance in Akumal Pueblo in Quintana Roo. For three days I worked alongside the family, animals, and workers, photographing the daily life of a Mexican circus. The circus in Mexico is a dying culture. Families are no longer able to support themselves and must keep moving quickly to find new audiences that their competition hasn't already visited. It's an exceptionally hard life for the people and the animals.
On the night of the first performance, the circus lights went on, the crowd cheered, the first acts began and suddenly, the power went out. The power line they had rigged from the tent to the top of the telephone pole shorted out the power grid for the whole town. A generator on the Mac truck was started, extension cords were run to a pair of construction floodlights, and the show went on.
Photographing these people, this lifestyle, the animals, is never allowed. I was fortunate enough to have gained the trust of several of the hired workers from the pueblo over the course of several months, and they vouched for my legitimacy as a photographer who was not there to exploit them or make any kind of statement about the treatment of animals. I was only interested in capturing the images, their story, and sharing my experience of three incredible days.
Alicia (Ali) Goodwin is Director and Curator at Drift Gallery.
In February 2012, I met an Aztec family of five who were running a small Mexican circus around the Southern Yucatan peninsula. They were setting up their tent for a performance in Akumal Pueblo in Quintana Roo. For three days I worked alongside the family, animals, and workers, photographing the daily life of a Mexican circus. The circus in Mexico is a dying culture. Families are no longer able to support themselves and must keep moving quickly to find new audiences that their competition hasn't already visited. It's an exceptionally hard life for the people and the animals.
On the night of the first performance, the circus lights went on, the crowd cheered, the first acts began and suddenly, the power went out. The power line they had rigged from the tent to the top of the telephone pole shorted out the power grid for the whole town. A generator on the Mac truck was started, extension cords were run to a pair of construction floodlights, and the show went on.
Photographing these people, this lifestyle, the animals, is never allowed. I was fortunate enough to have gained the trust of several of the hired workers from the pueblo over the course of several months, and they vouched for my legitimacy as a photographer who was not there to exploit them or make any kind of statement about the treatment of animals. I was only interested in capturing the images, their story, and sharing my experience of three incredible days.
Alicia (Ali) Goodwin is Director and Curator at Drift Gallery.
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PURCHASING INFORMATION
Mexican Presidents 17.5" x 11.5" Edition 3 of 25 Archival Inkjet Print Framed $950 | Print $750 |
Pegasus 17.5" x 11.5" Edition 3 of 25 Archival Pigment Print Framed $950 | Print $750 |
Please contact Drift Gallery at 603-379-6560 to inquire about availability.
