Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil performers create ‘The Collective’ art show

It’s not news that Cirque du Soleil has some of the most daring acrobats, powerful singers, stunning costumes and spectacular shows, but some people might be surprised to learn that the same people who make all of that happen also create fine visual art in their spare time.

Their visual creative efforts are on display in “The Collective,” an exhibition of work produced by the Cirque du Soleil staff, set to be open from noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays through June 14 at Eden Art Studio and Gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. A special reception is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. June 2 for Preview Thursday.

“We are honored to have Cirque du Soleil here,” said Eden Pastor, co-owner of the space. “The talent that they bring to the table is amazing.”

The work features a range of mediums and styles, including paintings, drawings, costumes and costume pieces, jewelry and other works, including a mixed media diorama by “Mystere” acrobat Kent Caldwell.

“It’s a wall-mounted piece with a lot of found objects, hand-sculpted pieces and some 3-D printed parts,” Caldwell said. “There are embedded electronics that are activated by … well, it’s sort of meant to contain secrets.”

The whimsical work is part of the body of work Caldwell began in his final year studying art and design at the University of Michigan. He’s been working on it for six years.

“I’m trying to bring in all sorts of influences in my life, but I’m also realizing that the technology and the post-digital age we’re living in are creeping more into my dioramas,” Caldwell said. “I sort of construct them as subconscious spaces too and let the (art and technology) intermingle more.”

Brian McCrea has dealt with many mediums and is currently working with oil and acrylic painting. He said his work is usually figurative and explores the human form. His piece in the show is part of a series of six works exploring the metaphor of anger as a hot ember, typified by the statement, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned,” which is anonymous but frequently attributed to Buddha.

“It’s kind of a reflection on the idea of anger or pain,” McCrea said. “You might not see that if you look at the piece, but that’s what it means.”

McCrea has been an acrobat with “Ka” for 10 years and sees that as just another medium to express himself artistically. He has adjusted to the desert climate by adjusting his technique of painting.

“It’s weird working with acrylics in the desert because they dry so fast,” McCrea said. “Normally, that’s an annoying thing, but it became a new style for me, having to work fast.”

For Brent Sommerhauser, trial and error and making subtle yet complex adjustments is part of the process. He works in blown and fused glass. It took three attempts on the piece displayed in the show to get everything the way he envisioned it. In particular, he found an opalescent section needed tweaking to come out the way he wanted. The temperature needed to be adjusted just right, or the glass turned too transparent or too opaque. He works on props for “Michael Jackson One,” but his talents are often called on for several other tasks throughout the Cirque du Soleil shows in the valley. Before coming to Cirque, he was an instructor at UNLV.

“The problem-solving part is quite fantastic,” Sommerhauser said. “If I’m working on something, even something I’ve done before, there’s a way that the brain works, anticipating the next steps. There’s a balance of science, physics, art and body physicality that is very satisfying.”

Sommerhauser doesn’t see a disconnect between performing art and visual art, but rather, he thinks of it as part of the same continuum.

“I always told my students that glass blowing is as close to sport as you can get in art,” Sommerhauser said. “There’s concentration and repetition of movements and knowledge of physics. If you walk across the floor this fast, if you turn the pipe at a certain angle in relation to the floor, a specific thing is going to happen. You learn to finesse that, just like athletics, or in our case, performance.”

In addition to the 33 works showcased this year, “The Collective” features the square project from the Zarkana Theater, a collection of squares created by individual cast and crew members that, once brought together, represent the beauty, importance and impact of working together toward a common goal.

“Last year, the show was at Trifecta Gallery, which is gone now,” said Justin Lepper, co-owner of the gallery. “We’re thrilled to have the Cirque show here and to help create the stability within our arts scene. Having the Cirque art show shows the right type of movement into the future.”

Visit EdenArtStudioAndGallery.com or call 702-706-7103.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.