The Trick Act 

Laura Knight painted “The Trick Act” using oil paint on canvas. The nature of oil allows for a rich texture and depth, visible in the way she has layered the pigments. Knight was fascinated by the circus, and spent a great deal of time within that world. The circus represents a certain kind of labor – highly skilled, and physically demanding. The apparent effortlessness of the performance belies the many hours of practice. And in this painting, Knight seems to be celebrating that aspect of the circus. She takes as her subject matter the performers, but also focuses on the behind-the-scenes activity required to keep the circus going. The oil paint medium emphasizes the artist’s own ‘performance’, too, her skill in capturing the fleeting movements of the circus, almost like a snapshot. Thinking about materials, making, and context encourages us to question the traditional hierarchy between fine art and more applied practices.