The Night Circus
The Night Circus
By artist: Shelley McDonald
Cigar boxes, wire, paper, found and collected objects. 90 x 10 x 30 cm
This work is a collection of three circus-inspired assemblages that draw upon the romance and spectacle of the Victorian era circus. Once a place of wonder, curiosity and shared amazement, the circus invited audiences into a world where imagination blurred the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Using found objects and layered materials, these assemblages reflect a sense of nostalgia for an era that celebrated innocence, magic and the joy of simple enchantment. They evoke memories of childhood, when the impossible seemed believable and the world was filled with mystery waiting to be discovered. It symbolises a time of collective imagination and human connection that feels increasingly distant in today’s fast-paced world. These works invite viewers to pause, reminisce and reconnect with that spirit of wonder. They ask us to consider what has been lost as innocence gives way to modern life, while reminding us that imagination still has the power to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
About the artist.
Shelley McDonald is a mixed media artist with a strong collage bent and a love of all things vintage. Recurrent themes in her work are old seaside villages and Victorian-era circus life. As an art educator of 20 years, these days her paper-based art kits are her passion with inspiration found from vintage ephemera and travel.
Collection or delivery.
This item is part of the Not My Monkey Art Exhibition, on display at Plant Empire from 25 July - 16 August 2026. Exhibition items are available for sale in person or online. In the unlikely event that a customer purchases the item in-store at the same time as it is sold online, we will refund the online purchase - thank you in advance for your understanding if this situation does occur. Exhibition pieces will be available for collection in-store or delivered from 16 August: to collect your item in person, please select the 'in-store pickup' option at checkout; or to have it delivered, please select either the Australia Post or courier option (Brisbane only) at checkout and your delivery fee will be calculated automatically.