Track & Field - Pictures & Perspective

Art, Information, and Hands-on Equipment Installation with Track and Field at its core

Track & Field - Pictures & Perspective ois an art installation consisting of black and white photographs, actual competition implements, and information about the sport of Track and Field. Its purpose is to engender appreciation of the sport, the athletes, their abilities, and to give perspective about the performances.

It will coincide with the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trails that are to be held June 27 - July 6 at the University of Oregon's legendary Hayward Field. Show opens Friday, June 27, 2008 in the 5th Street Public Market (296 East Fifth Avenue) in downtown Eugene and will run for the duration of the Trials.

Pictures are black and white images of collegiate level or higher athletes engaged in the various running, throwing, and jumping events. Athletes are unidentifiable as individuals and are presented in ways that emphasize athleticism, movement, and physique. They are a subset of the series, BodyMotionMovement (the site where you currently are).

Each image has a Track & Field factoid giving information about rules, events, event history, or other factual information that helps give appreciation and understanding of the sport.

Equipment and implements athletes use in meets are integrated with the images as well. These items will be installed in such a way as to allow visitors to experience the weight and size if the implement thereby gaining a better perspective of the event and its difficulty. Informational signs accompany each implement giving relevant details and an Olympic level performance mark.

Motivation:

My initial objective was to bring the Track and Field portion of my photography series BodyMotionMovement to an audience who might not normally attend a track meet, thereby promoting and showcasing the sport and athletes in an unexpected venue. However, as I continued photographing at the various meets, I saw very small fan bases – especially if the teammates, coaches, parents, and relatives of the competitors were removed. At the same time, I also observed incredible athletes performing astounding feats which gave rise to the idea that:

Track and Field is the most under-appreciated sport in the United States.

Small pockets of support exist, like in Eugene. Every Olympics seems to have a media incited rivalry of some sort, but, in general, track fans make up a relatively small percent of the population. One could argue a number of reasons for this; I contend that a paramount reason is one of perspective – that is, the perspective of the observer viewing a track meet.

So my objective has broadened to showcase not only Track and Field and the athleticism, movement, and beauty of the athletes, but to include as well an informative aspect that gives perspective to the observer – perspective that will engender appreciation and support for Track and Field and its Athletes.