The Boxer Project (exhibition postcard)
This work was inspired by my intrigue and memories of watching the Friday night fights with my father, the fact that St. Paul hosted the largest number of boxing champions other than New York in the early 20th century, and to review a sport now overshadowed by big money. The exhibition included unique black and white photographs printed on cotton canvas using a liquid light and silver print process, digitally printed fight cards (similar to a resume with fight history replacing work history) and three videos including a projection titled “Neutral Corner” manipulating historic fight footage accessed from the National Archive collection of newsreels. Photographs of young boxers dreaming of making it big and retired boxers who were training them at the now closed East Side Glancey’s Gym were included in the work.
Metal turnbuckles, sisal rope, wood, video projector, video player, two video monitors with headphones, digital photographs and silver prints on canvas
2001
Orbit Gallery, 7th place, Saint Paul, Minnesota
The installation received a good deal of press coverage in unexpected sections of the newspaper including a sports writer writing an art review published in the Sports Section of the Minneapolis Tribune and the lead front page story in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press paper by Nick Coleman which drew out retired boxers and fans from across the region to attend the opening (there were lines waiting to get into the gallery opening night) |
