Ordinary Beauty

By now you probably know that I am hot for the circus. Always, circus without animals, but otherwise, I’m in love with circus.

I dabbled for awhile in aerials, under the tutelage of Lara Paxton, one of the founders of Circus Contraption. Today I read an article that interviews Lara, and now I understand some of my circus affection.

Among other things, Lara says, “Circus also has an undeniable sexiness about it. And it’s a very immediate kind of sexiness, very alive. It’s not the airbrushed, anorexic, unattainable appeal presented in popular media. You can look at almost anyone performing in a renegade circus and think, ‘wow, I bet they’d be really fun to fuck.’ ”

hmmm.

Buzzy times in Seattle. Less than three weeks left to get your attire together and make that all-important first impression on the kinksters and scenesters who will gather at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, (SEAF) which opens to the public on Friday, March 24th.

The Friday night opening really is a swell party. Forget about being able to view the official art because the crowds will be too thick. Instead, succumb to the crowd, the costumes, the luscious surreal-ness of the Conworks space occupied by hundreds of genuinely delicious cavorting human forms. Revel in the smattering of over-the-top kinksters of questionable authenticity, for they serve as a foil to the other beauty.

However, you may be happy that the official art of the festival elludes your eyes. At least if you really were expecting “erotic” art. Sure, “erotic” is a realm like “pornographic”–we know it when we see it … but isn’t there something a little out of whack when each year, out of hundreds of pieces, I find one, two, maybe three which exude Erotic, and an abundance which just scream EgoKinkDebase.

I might think I need my head (and libido?) examined for this opinion, yet voices all about me opine in the same vein.

Will I be at SEAF this year? Of course. But this time I am bringing, and guerilla installing, my own art.

Oh. Did I say that outloud?