Agata Bisko
Arts & Cultural Studies Review, Issue 2 (10) , 2011, pp. 31 - 40
https://doi.org/10.4467/20843860PK.12.002.0361
Clowning – the trick of art or the art of tricks?
The article based on scientific studies and literature is an attempt to describe and analyze this type of circus arts as a response to the title question whether while talking about clowning we are dealing with the actual expression of artistry or with simple tricks intended primarily for middlebrow audience and children. For this purpose various literary sources ranging from textbook for students of clowning, by recognized works of world literature like The Clown of Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Heinrich Böll and The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder of Henry Miller or studies on the circus of Polish authors, to the anthropological essays on the figure of clown are analyzed. The article is conventionally divided into two parts. The first one – so to say – disassembles the clown’s performance to show the workshop of this circus artist. It focuses also on the matter of appearance and props, lists the types of clowns and his shows and describes disciplines involved in his work. The second part introduces briefly the scientific reflection on the scenic character in its three scenes, which are the concept of scapegoat, Savior and troublemaker, at the same time highlighting its ambivalence.