Le Journal du Dimanche4 October 2009
Inside the Artist’s studio
What goes on inside the artist’s studio when the man in charge isn’t there? Lots of things, ranging from the funny to the poetic, virtuoso, comical and absurd. With its new show entitled L’Atelier du peintre (the artist’s studio), the legendary Cirque Plume, founded twenty five years ago in Besançon, explores the mind of the creator, his first attempts, his doubts, his flashes of inspiration, the world of art and its frauds (with jibes at modern art). On stage, all the circus arts are represented: funny, touching clowns (but without their red noses), aerial straps, floor acrobatics, juggling, German wheel... A sequence of pictures take centre stage, a tiny figure comes to life accompanied by the sound of jazz and gypsy music played by a live band. La Grande Odalisque by Ingres comes alive watched by an acrobat, a marble statue begins to dance sensually, a rich collector pays a fortune for a piece of conceptual art...
Eric Mandel