CIRCUS OF LIFE

A personal, self-negotiated project based on tarot cards and human nature. I submitted this project to the Batsford Prize 2019, responding to the theme `Being Human’.

The Major Arcana cards in a tarot deck represent major archetypal situations we all face in life. I have illustrated 4 out of the 22 pivotal moments that ‘being human’ entails: The Fool, The Lovers, The Hermit and Death. The Fool is the first card and main character of the story. He journeys through life, experiencing accomplishments and setbacks; learning life lessons and growing as an individual. He progresses through the 4 seasons (Spring; Summer; Autumn; Winter) which also relate to the event on the card. The seasons are symbolic of human adaptation, changing emotions through the seasons and how we view events through seasonal lenses. I have arranged the figures in circus acts that summarise the nature of each card. The circus also represents the dissolution of societal norms and identities, as all walks of life were accepted in its infancy. Circus embraces the unique abilities of the human body and celebrates the transformations we are capable of. 

The Fool: Clown (chance)

New beginnings, growth, exploration, pioneering, adrift, opportunity, choice, freedom, youth, vision, curiosity, whimsy.

The Lovers: Trapeze (choice)

Romance, balance, passion, duality, love, harmony, security, sacrifice, unity, attachment, ambivalence, temptation, peace, ‘wear your heart on your sleeve’.

The Hermit: Contact Juggling (introspection)

Knowledge, wisdom, the self, conquering, inner guidance, progression, vision, growth, questioning, soul-searching, solitude, disconnection, the unconscious, search for truth.

Death: Contortion (transformation)

Reincarnation, sudden upheaval, new beginnings, endings, rebirth, cycle of life, growth, transition, loss, gain.