Mano a mano

Marco Appugliese has devoted part of his photographic work to the circus art: his personal records include thousands of photograms of both circus shows and intimate moments taken behind the scenes of the most important Italian circuses: from the Orfei, Togni and Casertelli families to the smallest and not less interesting ones. Wandering among the caravans, the artist is able to catch the allure of a secret universe - unknown to most of people - where the itinerant life flows between strict discipline and personal freedom. Appugliese has held two exhibitions on this theme: “Galattic Show”, that documents the homonymous show of the American circus even behind the scenes, and “mano a mano” which these shots belong to. Above all the latter collection reveals the attraction of the roman artist for the dynamism of the human body and the challenge of being precariously balanced, drawing the attention on acrobats and virtuoso performers of the circus art. In “mano a mano” there are several shots taken from some sequences of the complex number of Diego and Mickaela Barlay, both descending from distinguished circensian families. The author’s purpose is to pay homage to this art that is too often neglected and that demands so many efforts from both technical and functional points of view. It takes two/ three years to perform that kind of exercise and the photographer needs to have a good sense of timing to understand what is the best moment to catch. The two acrobats shown in these pictures seem to come from another dimension not only for the fanciful dresses they wear but above all for their ability to challenge the force of gravity.