Mixed Signals challenges the stereotypical view of male athletes.

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Mixed Signals: Artists Consider Masculinity in Sports
Art Gallery of Calgary
Friday, April 30 - Wednesday, September 1

More in: Visual Arts

The epitome of a male athlete is often imagined as an aggressive, statuesque, muscular being. But where did this standard come from and, more importantly, who decided what it was?

Traditional stereotypes of masculinity are still deeply entrenched in our minds, despite living in a supposedly open-minded and modern society. The Art Gallery of Calgary’s latest exhibition, Mixed Signals: Artists Consider Masculinity in Sport, challenges traditional gender roles and encourages viewers to question and reject the ideals they have been conditioned to accept.

AGC curator Molly Steeves views the exhibition as a method of examining and challenging athletic stereotypes without drawing any concrete conclusions. The work is open to individual interpretation.

The exhibition’s 15 artists use an engaging mix of photography, painting, sculpture and video work focused on themes of homosociality, branding, the theatricality of competitive sport and tribalism among teams. Each piece conveys a unique message and acts as a catalyst for dialogue — confronting the stereotypical heterosexual male athlete.

Many of the artists have injected themselves into their work, touching on personal experiences in the world of competitive sport. In “Moving Equilibrium,” a video by Marco Rios, the artist uses self-deprecating wit to portray his struggle to fit the statuesque physical mould of a male athlete.

One of the most striking pieces is Shaun Leonardo’s “Bull in the Ring.” The two-part piece is a representation of a football training practice that has been banned at the collegiate level due to its brutality. The unforgiving rite involves standing in a circle around a single player who receives crushing blows from his teammates. The purpose of the exercise is to improve agility and alertness.

The first part of “Bull in the Ring” is a performance-based sculpture made up of a circle of helmet-clad heads suspended from the ceiling. It evokes a foreboding reminiscent of what one would feel in the isolated player’s situation.

The second component of Leonardo’s piece is a video in which the artist places himself in the position of the “bull.” Both components showcase the survival-of-the-fittest mentality, as well as the notion of dominance and submission in team sports.

Artists in the “Material Evidence” section of the exhibition explore the ever-present role of commercial branding in sports. The level of commercialism in society and in sporting events is so pervasive that it is almost forgotten.

Hank Willis Thomas goes so far as to compare sponsorship and branding to slavery. His photos, “Ball and Chain” and “Scarred Chest,” show how quickly athletes become nothing more than an outlet for corporate advertising and, in a sense, become the property of their sponsors.

Brian Jungen, the lone Canadian artist in the exhibition, mixes past and present by manipulating sports equipment to resemble First Nations artifacts. “Blanket no. 3” laces together shredded football jerseys to create a work reminiscent of First Nations blankets. The inspiration for Jungen’s art stems from the notion that identities can be easily remoulded and manipulated.

On the mezzanine level of the gallery, viewers are presented with the opportunity to actively express their opinions about masculinity and its role in athletics. Magazines and other supplies have been provided for participants to add these ideas to a collage displayed on the gallery wall.