Up in the Air by CoreyBlack
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Description
These athletic souls are trapeze artists, presumably with the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus. They were photographed on the grounds of the closed Venice Arena in Venice, Florida. Ringling is headquartered in nearby Sarasota, but owns property in Venice. By the looks of it, the arena was closed to the public some years back. The massive building and compound sit forlornly like a rusted, crumbling relic from a bygone era, off the side of U.S. 41 near the Inter-Coastal Waterway. You get tantalizing glimpses of the splendid decay between clumps of palm trees and other foliage as you race toward the ICW bridge. Of course this kind of thing is catnip to a photographer, and after about 10 trips over the bridge, I convinced my sister Kate, the driver of the rental car, that I simply HAD to make pictures of the place. After a circuitous route over surface streets, we arrived at the padlocked gates of the chain-link fence surrounding the derelict venue. The windows were boarded, graffiti scared the walls, the rusted red doors testified to years of neglect, and faded blue letters spelled out VEN C AR NA on the peeling white paint. As if in league with the buildings gloomy countenance, the bright sky suddenly clouded into a melancholy overcast threatening rain. My Dad and I made a lot of pictures (some of which you'll be seeing later) as we wandered around the edge of the property following the fence. Imagine our surprise when we came across this group of young people doing their drills on fairly new looking equipment. Their shiny blue Toyota Prius was parked nearby in front of a collapsing shed. We assumed they worked for the circus, they appeared to know what they were doing and didn't seem like trespassers. Still, we did think it was a bit odd. Dad and I made a few more pictures, and then the four of us headed to dinner at Wee Blew Inn for the best cheeseburgers in Southwest Florida.
This picture was made on June 17, 2011.
Comments (12)
Chipka
The image is fantastic and your writeup is nicely evocative. I love both together, and separately. As for the image, there's a kind of starkness to it; I think it's because of the people in partial silhouette against a sky without features. There's an odd flatness, but it works perfectly, especially in relation to the nets and the rigging. Really nice...I like this a lot.
whaleman
For me, that could well be my "Room 101" as it looks scary when you cannot see whatever safety equipment may be in place. Nice shot Corey!
kgb224
Glad you enjoyed a wonderful day with your dad my friend. Stunning capture. God Bless.
durleybeachbum
An exciting ride and photo session..I was with you all the way! This is a tantalising pic..what happens next? I want to see!
blinkings
Wow I'd give this a go! I have no fear of heights. It's not a bravery thing, I just don't for some reason. Now....furry spiders on the other hand...!
beachzz
What a great story--I am always so intrigued by places like that. They sit so quietly, with no one around. Appealing and a bit scary at the same time. I'm so glad you made the stop and got this foto. The cloudy sky gives it just the right touch!!
auntietk
This IS tantalizing! Almost surrealistic. Excellent picture!
flavia49
fabulous image
sandra46
AMAZING CREATION!
jeanebean
You got a good shot of the trapeze students Corey. Classes have been taught there for several years now. The circus used to winter here and in Sarasota. Ringling's home on Sarasota Bay was refurbished a few years ago. The Ringling Museum and school of art is on the grounds. There is a group trying to raise the funds to refurbish the old arena. It has three rings inside and seats more people than any theatre here or in Sarasota. It would make a great exhibition center. The cost to refurbish it is only a few thousand dollars more than it would cost to tear it down so why not keep it. Sorry to ramble on. Nice shot.
Lashia
Wow, looks sketchy! Great shot, and cool POV- thanks for sharing! :-)
Selina Photography™
myrrhluz
I love the lines and silhouettes against the plain sky. I agree about the flat surreal look. This makes me think of a moment on stage when all the actors are frozen waiting for the curtain to rise and for action and dialog to start. Great shot!