Thursday, December 11, 2014

Tin Woman

The events at the Bytown Museum were not the only festival going on here in Ottawa on the Civic Holiday weekend. We have an annual Buskers Festival on the Sparks Street pedestrian mall featuring performers, acrobats, jugglers, mural artists, and other acts that draw out the crowds to watch. This first act was a woman doing the living statue act, entirely in silver as a robot. She reminded me of the Tin Man of the Oz books. It's fun watching living statue performers engage with the audience. They're mute, and occasionally move. Little kids are particularly astonished by living statue performers in a way that doesn't happen with other buskers; it's as if they don't quite know if they're real or not. 


There has been another living statue busker here in previous years named Kate Mior, but she was absent this year. She has a few personas in her act, including one being Marie Antoinette and another being a windup doll. Watching her perform and silently flirt with her audience is a blast. Another absent busker this year was Bendy Em, an Australian contortionist who can fold her entire body into a square glass box. Hopefully both return next year.

52 comments:

  1. It is a cultured city that appreciates artists and performers who bring magic to the public!


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    <3

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  2. I sometimes find these acts a little creepy.

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    1. They are wonders what are made to draw attention, so we can get some money.

      Tomás

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  4. Agree - those statue artists are quite amazing. It must take them AGES to get ready. We had an Australian contortionist over here who came to look up his relatives...

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  5. Looks great fun, I love Bendy Em, saw her once in Christchurch.

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  6. I saw one of these in Heidelberg earlier this year and I thought he looked creepy. Lots of fun, but very, very creepy. :-)

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  7. I don't see them a lot overhere, but I like to watch living statues, I really admire this kind of performing artists.

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  8. In Amsterdam there were a lot of them and they got agrassive to the public when they photographed them without giving money. They are limited now and have to have a permit.

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  9. The Tim Woman looks fantastic! She does remind me of Tim Man from Wizard of Oz.
    I saw many street performers when I was in Las Vegas and they were terrific!

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  10. what a neat living statue
    they are very clever

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  11. It's a talent.. keeping so still for such long periods of time can't be easy.. They totally freak Aimee out :) :)

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  12. I like the way she contrasts with the colors worn by the other people. I've seen these folks before and give them a lot of credit for being able to be so still and mute for so long. I'd probably start wailing and dancing in about five minutes!

    Appreciate very much all your comments, William!

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  13. I think human statues are amazing! They are so much fun to watch and I KNOW I could never do it.

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  14. I always wonder how they are able to be so still for a so long time...

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  15. @Cloudia: a cultured city despite the idiot in the Prime Minister's office who thinks singing a Guns and Roses song at a party love-in makes him look human.

    @Halcyon: they can be.

    @Tomas: that's true.

    @Mike: I can just imagine the effort going into the body paint.

    @Peter: it's amazing to watch her at work.

    @Revrunner: it's as if they're not acting quite human.

    @Jan: yes, it's very different from other street performers.

    @Marianne: these ones have permits, of course.

    @Hilary: they're a lot of fun to watch.

    @Tamago: here the buskers tend to be more or less concentrated in this festival.

    @Jen: they are.

    @Grace: I can see that!

    @Luis: so do I.

    @Lowell: I couldn't do it!

    @EG: you're not the only one.

    @Karl: it takes concentration!

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  16. I also thought of the tin man when I saw this. They'd make a great couple.

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  17. Aren't the kids fascinated? Me, too.

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  18. Wait till the Tim Man get a look at this! His lucky day?

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  19. Those buskers do some pretty amazing things.

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  20. Living statues are amazing. Love how kids react too.

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  21. That is pretty cool to see. I can't imagine being that still for more than 30 seconds! LOL

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  22. The first time I saw a living statue was in Ottawa.. many years ago. I might have been in as much awe as your local kids.

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  23. Summer festivals are a great event and give all kinds of performers a chance to show their stuff.

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  24. @Stuart: they would!

    @Jennifer: I was pleased to see the child in the pic staring up at her!

    @Birdman: definitely his lucky day!

    @Sharon: they certainly do.

    @Jen: yes, it's a wonder.

    @Judy: I always enjoy that weekend seeing the various performers.

    @Tex: yes, it requires great concentration.

    @Pamela: I couldn't do it!

    @Hilary: it's quite an impressive skill.

    @Red: they definitely do well with their art.

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  25. It would be nice to see her at work... Maybe next year!

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  26. I'd love to go to a Buskers Festival! Wish we had one down here!

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  27. I have seen similar and it is amazing what they can do. I think I would be amazed at Bendy Em.

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  28. They are SO good! I love to watch them.

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  29. They are so fascinating to watch!

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  30. such entertainers are always fascinating to watch

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  31. We have an almost resident Egyptian sarcophagus in the spring and summer which I need to show on VDP. Could you perhaps send her over? ;-)

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  32. @VP: we shall see!

    @Cheryl: they're fun.

    @Denise: she makes your back ache just watching her.

    @Marleen: so do I.

    @RedPat: they are!

    @Gerald: it's quite entertaining!

    @Ciel: I'll have to see what I can do!

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  33. These performers are great fun, always enjoyable. It has to take a special sort of person to do it.

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  34. How fun to watch! I've seen them in other cities, but not here where I live.

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  35. i am always amazed by folks that can do this - they must really get some achy muscles over time - i would think?? we saw a lot of this when visiting New Orleans, LA 2 years ago. so so cool!! ( :

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  36. Sorry I am so late, computer problems.
    She looks great. Reminds me of the robots from the movie "Robots".

    cheers, parsnip

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  37. I wonder how many photographs are taken of her every day.

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  38. there's a gold man "statue" in venice beach...they should hook up!

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  39. That is so neat. I would be twitching and itching in two seconds. I applaud the Tin Woman.

    I came home. We didn't go to Montana maybe in the Spring. But EW was fun. MB

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  40. I have seen similar buskers often. How much money do you think they make for all of their efforts?

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  41. Nick Chopper the Tin Woodsman would have fallen in love!

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  42. This reminds me of NYC and Piccadely Circle in London. There are street actors like this in various spots.

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  43. @Kay: even if they're silent, they're engaging with the public.

    @Lois: I love the busker festival. I was pleased to catch a lot of it this past year.

    @Beth: they've got a few tricks up their sleeve for that.

    @Parsnip: I can see that.

    @Randy: lots!

    @Tanya: hah!

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  44. @MB: It must take lots of practice.

    @Linda: it is!

    @Jack: as some of them do travel around the world doing this, it must be enough to make a living.

    @Mark: definitely!

    @Shelly: here it's a few days in a year.

    @Whisk: I get a kick out of them each year.

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