The Relationship and Influence Between Art and Sports
### Art in Motion: Exploring the Intersection of Sports, Art, and Culture at SFMOMA
The intersection of sports and art often leads to a captivating exploration of human expression, performance, and identity. At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the exhibition *Get in the Game* demonstrates this synergy, featuring over 70 internationally acclaimed artists who use their creativity to interrogate and reinterpret the world of sports. Through sculpture, photography, painting, video, and sound installations, the exhibition examines the dynamic themes of gender, identity, physicality, and the commodification of athletes. Here’s a closer look at how SFMOMA redefines “the game” as a powerful cultural and artistic axis.
—
### **The Spectacle of Sport and Identity**
One of the most striking elements of *Get in the Game* is its bold confrontation with the gendered history of sports. The exhibition critiques traditional notions of “inclusion” and “exclusion,” offering instead transformative visions of gender roles within the athletic sphere.
Cara Erskine’s painting *Everybody, Everybody* (2017–18) reevaluates how sports media perceives women, focusing on the infamous criticism of the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team during their 2010 victory celebrations. Erskine’s euphoric portrayal honors their freedom to revel in triumph, disrupting societal norms of “appropriate” female behaviors. Betsy Odom, through her leather-sculpted *Bulldog 30* shoulder pads (2009), blurs the boundaries between masculinity-coded sports equipment and femininity-associated design. The inclusion of her initials transforms something functional into something deeply personal, symbolizing individuality within a larger, often rigid structure.
Mark Bradford adds another dimension to this conversation on athletic identity with *Practice* (2003), a video in which he wears a hoop dress that satirizes a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. His clumsy, yet elegant movements challenge stereotypes of masculinity, suggesting athleticism and grace can coexist while dismantling rigid ideas of gender expression. These works collectively critique sports’ conformity—and celebrate the messiness that occurs when these norms are transcended.
—
### **Sport as a Language and Form of Freedom**
Natalie Diaz’s poem *Ten Reasons Indians Are Good At Basketball* serves as an evocative entry point to understanding *Get in the Game*. The poem, rooted in history, speaks of basketball as more than a game; it is a vehicle for rebellion, resilience, and self-expression. Resonating with this idea, Grace Rosario Perkins’s *They Thought You Would Be Taller* (2024) weaves her family’s love for basketball into an abstract montage of personal and cultural symbols, creating a language where sports communicate identity and ancestry.
Ashley Teamer’s *WNBA History, Book I* (2024) highlights the groundbreaking history of the Women’s National Basketball Association through the artistic medium of quilting. Combining archival photos of Black women in the league’s early years with contemporary players like A’ja Wilson and non-binary player Layisha Claredon, Teamer crafts an “alternative archive.” Her quilt is not merely an object; it’s a tapestry of overlooked narratives, celebrating the personhood of these athletes when they’re often reduced to commercial commodities.
These pieces underline an essential truth: like art, sports move beyond the confines of the physical arena to act as cultural instruments that empower individuals and communities.
—
### **The Dualities of Skill and Violence**
The physical prowess displayed in sports often walks a fine line between control and vulnerability. This duality is powerfully captured by Holly Bass in her photograph *NWBA (Jordan)* (2012), where her suspended body and basketball-like adornments merge human form and object, critiquing the commodification of Black athletes. Similarly, former Olympian Savanah Leaf responds to the exploitation of female athletes by featuring herself in dimly-lit video works, running with wires tethering her movements. The intimate, close-up shots transform her body into a site of struggle, eliciting both empathy and discomfort from viewers.
Roxana Drexler’s *Death of Benny “Kid” Paret* (1963) focuses on the fatal fight of the Cuban boxer, emphasizing the controlled brutality of sports. Instead of glorifying the violence, Drexler uses ambiguity and softness to ensure the viewer’s emotional engagement. Her work builds a stark dichotomy that exposes the risks athletes face while still honoring their humanity.
—
### **Humanity in Competition and Beyond**
The deeper theme running through *Get in the Game* is an insistence on agency—whether it’s through the celebration of female athletes or the abstraction of sports narratives into open-ended metaphors. Alejandra Carles-Tolra’s *Bruises Legs and Sweat* (2013–15) captures this humanity by focusing on the raw, physical intimacy of collegiate women rugby players. Her close, unsparing imagery doesn’t reduce the athletes to