Ben McNutt

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Pankratiast

My first artistic interpretation of wrestling began with the creation of a large narrative panorama. Using digital photography and studio lighting, I depicted over eleven wrestlers in a white space. They sat on benches, wrestled on mats, and stood close to one another. Doing so allowed myself to create a dreamlike space where wrestlers looked and acted exactly how I dictated. However, my first artistic attempt to explore wrestling revealed a limited knowledge of the sport. The panorama is flawed in detail. The wrestlers stances aren’t perfect and the rules are not clearly depicted. But, this photograph provided a starting point in the trajectory of my work.


Realizing my need to learn more, I slowed down my artistic process and carefully observed the details of wrestling. I photographed singlets and headgear under sensual lighting. I studied greco-roman statues while simultaneously photographing wrestlers’ bodies and creating intimate portraits. 


The sport of wrestling holds culturally and socially significant subtexts, such as power, athleticism, and desire. An in-depth, artistic exploration of this sport throughout history demonstrates a natural obsession with these subtexts. Perhaps my artwork is a representation of all of our fantasies, obsessions, intrigues, and desires. This work stands as a part of a larger body that chronicles the human fascination with the athletic form. However, my use of photography extends this conversation by intentionally framing our perspective. In doing so, our impressions, responses, and desires become inseparable from the subjects in the photographs. I allows us to share an intimate embrace with wrestling.