Katrina M. d'Autremont investigates and photographs the relationship between people and places, like in the stunning Trapecistas series.
Katrina says, "When I was living in South America, I started taking circus classes. One thing that struck me was that the teachers of the trapeze classes were often women with young children. Often their children would be at the classes like at a daycare center, except the babysitters were the students of the classes. Each day these aerial mothers would train for hours as their children grew up into the world of circus arts. To these children what their mothers did each day was normal, and in trying to be like their moms, they fly through the air and grow up with a world most of us only imagine in fiction."
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Trapecistas
Not only are these photographs striking in composition and lighting, but the story behind them is inspiring and thought provoking. I feel the need to question our own society's form of daycare...does it instill family values and respect? Is there a way to mimic this type of care - minus joining the circus?!
Nonetheless, I am awe struck by Katrina's talent and experiences. Check out more of her amazing work on her website and on Hey, Hot Shot!
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38 comments:
these shots are fantastic...I have didn't have a foot fetish before gazing at the 2nd one, but now...
love the story too..glad you shared this.
I always thought it would be the most wonderful life to have been raised in a circus family. And yes, we really would do well to re-think our child care system, and make it easier for children to be a part of the parents work day.
oh, to be in a circus family! i wish. these are absolutely gorgeous.
and i agree, i think it would be way better for children--especially the little ones!--to be with/near their parents during the day somehow.
marvelous! i could only dream of being this limber.
Great comments and discussion! I wonder what parents think of this? Daycare is a hard topic to discuss, especially since it is a necessary for many. Maybe the workplace needs to change? Provide an opportunity for children to really see what their parents do.
Fab! ...I fell in love with the circus after watching the classic Cecil B. De Mille's movie 'The Greatest Show on Earth'...Isn't life a circus sometimes?
truly amazing.
My mom attempted to make me a gymnast as a kid, she put my in classes and I failed...miserably. Now I really wish I'd tried a little harder to learn all these flexible stunts!
There is a gal from San Francisco who does trapeze burlesque. It's unbelievably beautiful and exotic.
wow. these shots are AMAZING! when i was a little one, my parents let me hang out in the back of their pharmacy all day: first in a baby carrier, then at my own mini-desk ( a footstool!). it was a circus of sorts, but nothing nearly as breathtaking as these photos!
It's a lifelong dream to be able to do the splits. I think I am past my prime at this point, though. Blasted hamstrings! Love these photos. :)
these shots are absolutely fantastic - and i looove the question about daycare. makes you think.
mmhm.
not to mention that the kid in the second last shot is SWEETER THAN WORDS.
Amazing photos! They are sooooooo strong... it is amazing! Dated a trapeze artist at one time.
Ooops... hit the comment button before I was finished... anyway... I tried a few times to do some of that stuff on a trapeze bar... it is incredibly hard to hold ones on weight and sooo firmly... AMAZING!!!
These are stunning! I love everything about each shot!!
I like the pictures and the idea behind them... and I also like that you've brought up the care question. Yes, I agree, the series are thought-provoking...
wow, what an amazing post! those images! you raise a really interesting and valid point about the lack of options for working mothers with children. unquestionably, it is best for small children to be near their mothers for the first few years of life, but so many women do not have the option to keep their children close. maternity leave is so brief in the US! these beautiful trapicistas provide food for thought, and definitely something to strive towards as a society.
I love the little girl with the training parent! The presence of the small person gives these photos another dimension!
how sweet is that little girl! wonderful, real life images!
what lovely photos!!!!
these are AMAZING!!! just so cool!
these images are gorgeous. I love the stark contrasts and how dramatic they are.
I've wanted to take a class here in NY for ages. I always pass by the trapeze set up by the river in the summer and feel jealous. maybe this summer...
:)
Unbelievable photos. The parvritta trikonasana (yoga pose) with the baby is amazing.
wow.
and i hear ya on those questions.
What a way to grow up! Great question. As I think of my future and how I would handle daycare when I have children I feel very lucky to be able to work at home although I wonder how much I could really get done. I will have to get my child a computer. :) Great post!
I wish that we're my day job. How magical.
That is some strong and amazing pictures..certainly wont mind taking such classes..but then I'll have to lose too much weight, otherwise..I cant climb up :(
These are really interesting, beautiful photos!
Amazing glimpse into an alternative lifestyle to my own! Sad that it's become a luxury to so many to be able to spend those formative years with their children.
Can I just say I wish I could bend like that... I love the photos = )
there is so much motion in these static shots that these ladies energy really do come through, especially the first few pics of them balancing and intertwining themselves between columns of fabric
So don't get me wrong, I love my mom. And I think she did a pretty good job of raising my sister and me.
But she was NOT a trapeze artist and I think that my childhood was seriously lacking as a result.
I love these photos! They remind me a lot of Mary Ellen Mark's series about circuses. She followed a couple circuses in Mexico and India and took amazing photos. Have you seen her work? She's been one of my favorite photographers for years and years.
I love this post. the pictures are magical
Wow, this post and photos are amazing!
I am awe struck right along with you, wow! With three little ones constantly at my side, I often feel like a trapecista, literally pulled in all directions. But clearly I am not. These are just spectacular!
Oh my, now I want to join the circus!
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