Clayton Anderson
Clayton Anderson
Kicking Sawdust
Hardcover
128 pages
First Edition
Daylight Books
2020
About the Book:
The photographs in Kicking Sawdust are not only about a way of life, they are about my own life. It was the life I lived working in the fair, circus, and carnival circuit over 30 years ago. Before starting the trip, I decided I wanted to document my travels as I moved from town to town across the US with my family’s food-trailer business. This transient world was strange, surreal, gritty, and full of surprises at every turn. I was compelled to take photos at each new place we stopped and obsessed with capturing my experiences. These images are the ultimate souvenirs I brought back from an incredible and interesting time in my life.
Book review by Dana Stirling |
I always heard of the circus as a nomadic non-place that is filled with “outsiders” that are so unique, larger than life itself characters that are so special that they don’t really fit into any specific place. They move from town to town to showcase their talents for the locals and as quickly as the tents goes up – there is goes down again. If you missed them then you might never get to see them, or maybe it will take a long time till you do again.
For me the circus always sounded like a mystical place that just pops up like a mushroom after the rain and before you get a glimpse of it, it’s gone like magic. I think this is why so many people, and artists in particular have always been intrigued by these circus people.
As circus audience we only see the act the show stopping and memorizing moment of gravity defying, brave, ridicules, spectacular split seconds of these amazing acts. But what happened with the show is over? In the backstage? In rehearsals? In their downtime? Paintings and posters of circus were expected, but I think photographers are the ones that really were able to show us what is behind these glamours moments and show us a closer look into who these people are beyond their character on stage.
In this book, Clayton Anderson does exactly this. Documenting the everyday of these people and showing us all aspects of life. I think sometimes when we think of these people, we see then as larger than life, but in this work we are able to see their humanity, see them up and close and enjoy their present in a different way.
If I must be honest, I’ve never been to the circus. Everything I know of the circus comes from TV shows, the movies or art and photography. I didn’t grow up in the U.S so for me the circus was never really “a thing” to go to. I learned about the circus from visuals and art which have defined my perception, and here I am now, still doing the same thing in a way. This is what I love about photography, it has the ability to put a spotlight on something in such a vivid, realistic and charming way that you feel a part of the experience regardless of your personal experience, you become a part of the story with images.
I think what makes this work great is the real personal connection Anderson has to this lifestyle and people. Moving from town to town with his family’s food-trailer business, he was able to get personal with people who traveled alongside him. This is not an “outsider” looking in – this is an insider documenting the people around and you can see and feel the relationship connection in the photos. I think not many people can necessarily understand a lifestyle that includes moving around so much, almost not having a rooted home and being on the road constantly, so having that unique inside perspective allows the work to be genuine and authentic in its own way.
You know, we don’t really know what the future will hold for us all. Things change so rapidly that tomorrow might look completely different than today. This is why documents like this, documents of a time, place and people are so important for our collective future. As someone who never experienced the circus in person, I am thankful that images like this exists so I can get a glimpse, even if a small one, into these events, shows and unique people.
