Baker Artist Portfolios

The sport of wrestling holds culturally and socially significant subtexts, such as power, athleticism, and desire. McNutt's in-depth, artistic exploration of this sport throughout history demonstrates a natural obsession with these subtexts. Perhaps McNutt's artwork is a representation of all of our fantasies, obsessions, intrigues, and desires. His work stands as a part of a larger body that chronicles the human fascination with the athletic form. However, his 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. McNutt allows us to share an intimate embrace with wrestling.

I was confronted with contradiction when I authored an article for an online news site. Accompanied alongside my photographs I boldly wrote how I believed wrestling cultures perspective on masculinity was incompatible with how it presented itself, appearing socially conservative but presenting itself so queerly to me. One of my photographs emphasized the red spandex of a wrestling singlet tight against a wrestler’s chest while another showed an emotional embrace between two wrestlers. The response to the article was overwhelmingly negative.  I received death-threats among the various invocations of violence from self-identified wrestlers and other fans.  Agitated commentators denied its queerness and also spoke of my lack of authenticity, research, and relationship with wrestling culture as reasoning for their denial. What I was taught to feel about wrestling and what I was actually feeling were at odds with one another. Culturally I was supposed to view the sport and wrestlers as strong, traditional, masculine, powerful, normative figures but that isn't what I saw or what I felt. Frustrated by the reaction to my article and filled with self-doubt I wanted to deepen my artistic exploration of wrestling culture and its relationship with masculinity to redeem myself in the eyes of these wrestlers.

Recognizing some of the more valid aspects of the comments made I continued to learn about and photograph wrestling. My interests led me to a natural place which was a matter of the heart and never felt forced for myself. I became a regular attendee at the Naval Academy’s wrestling competitions in Annapolis, Maryland where I watched and absorbed the sport alongside wrestlers. I talked with world freestyle wrestling gold medalist Mehran Mirzaiee (مهران میرزایی) about wrestling’s popularity in Iran compared to the United States. I archived hundreds of wrestling photographs from the National Archives and Records Administration and from several wrestlers personal instagram accounts such as Turkish pehlivan Sefa Yeşilkaya. When I read comments on my article now I understand some of the viewpoints voiced. The imagery of wrestling we consume, such as Turkish oil wrestling, are simplified to portraying homoeroticism in a sexualized way, while dismissing the nuances of the sport and its cultural context. I was unknowingly contributing to this assumption. . After six years involved in this project, I have come to realize however that wrestling provides a space for progressive aspects of masculinity to be practiced.

Wrestling is able to provide a context wherein its athletes are pulling, pushing, and ignoring aspects of traditional masculinity willing or unwitting. Because of wrestling's incredible relationship with history, religion, athleticism, culture, and nationalism, I find this realization to be an incredibly powerful one. Though my work on wrestling stands as a part of a larger body that chronicles the human fascination with the athletic form, my use of photography extends this conversation by intentionally framing our perspective. I will continue my series on wrestling with no end in site, not only because I’ve found myself as a wrestling fan, but because my beliefs compel me to do so.