Shown at the Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, Louisiana, May through August 2001, and the Museum of East Texas, Lufkin TX January to May 2002

IIt’s one of those magical starry nights in the North African desert. A soft, warm breeze lofts small grains of sand, but the atmosphere remains calm. Your scarf is no longer wrapped around your face: the subtle beauty of distant sand dunes are etched with the draping light of a full moon. Like all good desert tales, you sense the presence of an oasis. Humidity increases slightly, the sweet smell of vegetation now carries in the wind, the soft percolation of distant percussionists drifts in the air. As you climb one last dune, you encounter a site wholly unexpected: the silhouettes of acrobats in rich satin costumes performing amazing feats as ripples of firelight dance across the sand. An armature of hooded tents frame a snake charmer and fire eater:  An arc of percussionists work into a frenzy, gypsies corral exotic beasts, a group of richly clad Berbers toast and cheer the circus performers.

Such experiences languish in our romantic imagination, but sadly, opportunities and to witness an event like this are diminishing. The planet is smaller, circuses aren't PC, isolated acts of beauty are rare as multinational homogenization irons out wrinkles of culture that have provided so much diversity in the past.  Thus artists become key interpreters of the romantic inmagination, preserving these lost or even stolen moments, and recreating them for our pleasure and amusement.

Sally Chandler has done just that. Extending themes she worked with in her previous ‘‘Beetlemania’ show, Chandler brings us ‘‘Circus Exotica, a multi layered exploration of global migration, the animal kingdom and the interaction of humans with nature as manifested in culture. The most obvious example of this is in the juxtaposition of Arabic script with animal patterns. In it you see the seemingly random, yet precise language of nature, and hence spirit. Chandler has great reverence for arabesque design, acknowledging its power to articulate the secret power of natures often unseen hand.

More importantly, in “Circus Exotica’ Chandler brings back the joy and magic of experiencing the exotic, even though we tend to take ourselves too seriously. Even circuses are un-cool. So what are we to do? Let Chandler be the ringmaster, her lively world of creatures your guide.
 

Antonio Lopez
Art Writer, Santa Fe New Mexico