Private Acts: The Acrobat Sublime

Photography collides with gravity-defying acts in this sensual and mesmerizing collection of photographs that capture the explosive energy and beauty of bodies. In this extraordinary suite of images by Acey Harper, the energy and beauty of nude female and male bodies-devoid of costumes, greasepaint, stage sets, and lighting-are photographed stripped bare (figuratively and literally), revealing the acrobats' art, craft, and emotions. The beautiful, well-trained, and highly flexible bodies are captured in settings from the natural (beaches in the Marin Headlands, forests in Vermont, the Black Rock Desert) to the gritty urban (a New Jersey steel mill, San Francisco streets, the New York subway). In three captivating essays, Harriet Heyman, well-schooled in trapeze arts, describes firsthand what it feels like to train as an acrobat and what motivates these dedicated artists.