Sky Hooked
Sky Hooked is a glorious celebration of work of Skinning The Cat, Circus of the Sky, founded by Becky Truman in 1988, after she had created an aerial ballet piece for her degree show. We recognised Becky’s pioneering contribution in our alumni exhibition, 175 Heroes, four years ago and since her incredible journey began here, it is fitting that we are hosting this lavish tribute. The gallery is packed with costumes, props, photography and artwork and features new films and sculpture alongside performance footage.
In 2007 Becky was awarded a NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) Fellowship which funded a body of work about her journey as a trapeze artist through and post her age of athleticism, exploring the private life of a performer, including the complicated issues of aging and injury. Becky explained, “Skinning The Cat was very much at the forefront of aerial circus in the UK. We pre-dated Cirque Du Soleil coming to this country and were completely different to anything seen before. The exhibition shows not just all the bright, fun stuff, but the reality. It takes the audience through the whole journey in three stages: College, Skinning The Cat and the aftermath. I was very fortunate as Bradford & Ilkley Community College, as it was then known, encouraged students to go outside and engage with the other artists. I made contacts and started meeting people like Dusty Rhodes and Alan Brack, who were part of the Bradford artistic community where there was a climate that anything was possible.
As much as you can in a gallery situation, I have tried to achieve a feel of the show. In the the dressing room installation I wanted to convey the atmosphere of getting ready for a show."
You can watch a fantastic short film showing Becky’s preparations here:
Becky continued, " In the darker projection room the film and sculpture explores what it is like to be injured and out of the limelight. On the road it is a very intense, insular lifestyle and once that all stops you have to deal with the void. The life casting sculpture is about that injury and anxiety. The film shown in this space examines the question I had when I was forced to stop doing trapeze due to the toll it had taken on my body, which was now that I am no longer that performer, who am I? It is an experimental performance piece I called ‘Ground Bound’ as this was exactly how I felt. In the film and in the crouching figure with broken glass on its back, I am naked to contrast with the elaborate costumes that fill the main space. It expresses this feeling of loss which was utterly devastating. I had resisted the change for as long as I could. I had a back fall accident and also dislocated my foot and had years of physio. For two years I still did the show but when I was not performing I walked around on crutches! I was just driven, compelled and blinkered to pain and the repercussions. I had spent eighteen years on the trapeze, fifteen of those with Skinning The Cat; two shows a day, seven days a week.”
Becky has a book in production recounting her extraordinary career and experiences. Further acknowledgement of the significance of her work has come from the V&A, who are creating a historical costumes archive of Skinning The Cat and making Becky a featured artist.
You can see exhibition highlights here
You can see images from the opening here
Exhibition runs 20th January until 22nd February. Gallery opening hours Monday to Friday, 11am until 4pm. Private View Thursday 19th January, 5pm until 8pm.