SKYE GELLMANN

Scattered Tacks (2008)

Scattered Tacks – An anarchic vision of circus.

Far from the sensory-overload of much contemporary performance, Scattered Tacks leads audiences into an anarchic and absurd vision of circus. Award winning trio (Terri Cat Silvertree, Alex Gellmann and Skye Gellmann) take us back to the very essence of the circus; the circus behind the popcorn, the frills and the grand gestures.

“The Gellmann’s and Silvertree bring Australian circus, traditionally rough and bawdy, closer to its conceptual and elegant French sibling, but in a way that is absolutely authentic.” Jana Perkovi, Realtime Arts Magazine

“One of the most challenging and significant pieces of New Circus to emerge in years.” Advocate and Artistic Director of Circa, Yaron Lifschitz.

2008 AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION, Melbourne Fringe Festival

Genres:
Contemporary performance, Circus/Physical.

Seasons:
Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Village Festival, Melbourne.
‘New Circus Now’ at Judith Write Center for Contemporary Art.
Brisbane Powerhouse, Visi Theatre.
Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival, Netherlands.
Artshouse, Melbourne.

Created:
Skye Gellmann

Artists: Skye Gellmann, Terry Cat Silvertree & Alex Gellmann

A work that really stands out was in the 2008 program, called Scattered Tacks, by Silvertree and Gellmann. Those artists abstracted circus down to its fundamentals. The lighting was torches that each performer held in their hands or in their mouths, and nothing else. In a culminating moment there was darkness, though you saw a performer lying down, almost nude, with a dinner plate on his belly. The lights went off, the lights were on again. There was a performer holding up a bowling ball, which was about to drop onto the belly of the performer lying down. We saw the hands let go of the bowling ball and all the torches were switched off. We heard the plate break and we all felt it in our bodies. We felt their bodies. I’ve never forgotten that performance.

– Esther Anatolitis