“The prevalent view in the sociology of sport for example is that, broadly speaking sport performs a positive function. It provides meaningful activity for individuals by allowing them to express themselves and to acquire stable personal identities, thereby integrating into the structure of society and it stabilises the social order by reinforcing common norms and values.”
– John Hargreaves, Sport Power and Culture (Polity Press 1986)
This body of work contrasts with the glory and the glamour of commodified sport and sees it as it is really played in parks, clubs and associations.
My work asks questions about who plays sport and why. It explores the social importance of the sporting communities, in defining the identities of its members. It also reflects the social need to belong within a structure with clear rules, regulations and modes of dress.
The pictures capture the theatricality of sport through the costumes and props. These help create the personae that make up the sporting performance which is played out against the backdrop of damp changing rooms and municipal parklands.
Through this work we are forced to consider some general truths about the human condition and our need to join groups and participate in the seemingly trivial activity of play.