Artist Statement
The Circus and the Cyclone is a piece of fantastical historical fiction set against the worst natural disaster in Wisconsin’s history - the destruction of the town of New Richmond by a tornado in 1899. The event was made even more tragic because a traveling circus had also arrived that day, attracting many outside visitors to the town.
Using this backdrop, I have created a narrative that weaves between a pair of childhood friends, now grown and fallen in love, a pair of clowns competing for the affections of a beautiful contortionist traveling with the circus and a megalomaniac human cannonball who dreams of flying to the moon. All of these stories culminate when the tornado suddenly strikes, turning fates and revealing hidden truths.
The Circus and the Cyclone is being made in to a book, which you can help fund at Kickstarter.
Bio
Sue (Goetz) Lawton was born and raised in the Milwaukee area and has been drawing for as long as she can remember. After receiving her BFA in 2002, she has been working extensively with images that tell stories. From discarded card catalogs to the opera to Wisconsin circus lore, she seeks to tell her own story through exaggerated, lavish romance and a quirky twist of humor.