Strike Fast Dance Lightly : Artists on Boxing | Sag Harbor
Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing, Sag Harbor. Photo by Gary Mamay
Text : Max Wiener
Boxing is a sport that is seemingly, old as time. Since the dawn of humanity, who hasn’t wanted to see two giants beat each other to a pulp? It’s a spectacle unlike any other and is an often overlooked source of incredible art, from the minutiae to the monstrosities. In Sag Harbor, one of the diamonds in the crown that makes up The Hamptons, “Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing” proves to be a tremendous showcase of the “art” of boxing, stumping the argument that it’s merely a barbarous display of humanity. With a multi-medium experience, ranging from photography to physical art pieces, the series is a worthy experience for fans and bystanders. The exhibition opened on June 24 and is scheduled until September 4.
Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing, Sag Harbor. Photo by Gary Mamay
While many people gravitate towards the brutality of boxing, “Strike Fast, Dance Lightly” offers the other side. Everyone has seen the image of Evander Holyfield’s ear after Mike Tyson bit it off, but is that art? The real art is deeper below the psyche and the canvas; perhaps it’s the boxers themselves. On the walls of The Church, the art of the boxer is shown to us in striking detail, all the way down to the muscle fibers. The incredible shape these athletes are in makes them spectacles to be observed, almost as if they’re walking iterations of Michaelangelo’s David. People will turn their heads to look and open their eyes to see these grand spectacles of humanism.
Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing, Sag Harbor. Photo by Gary Mamay
Another argument is that boxing itself is an art, which is ever the more concurrent in this series. The movements and motions required to be a professional boxer are challenging and take years to master; it often flies under people’s radar for the hardest athletic feats. A street fight is loose, but boxing is careful and calculated. Even though Mike Tyson may have bitten a man’s ear off, he made it seem easy and fluid. On the walls of The Church, stunning photographs of boxers in motion almost inspire us and uplift our spirits. The dipping and the jabs look like elaborate choreography, all part of an intricate dance in a brutal display of artisanry and showmanship. Their bodies move like dancers in The Nutcracker. Their minds are as sharp as chess grandmasters. It is here where a naysayer could be swayed, where triumphant features of beautiful athleticism can overshadow their negative opinions. Such a showing of the sport is rarely this beneficial.
Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing, Sag Harbor. Photo by Gary Mamay
“Strike Fast, Dance Lightly” is what the art world needs right now: an exhibition highlighting what might not be art but, through careful analysis, proves to be one of the finest sources of it.
