In 20 reimagined hockey card-style portraits, I Am Emotionally Attached to These Men queers the stereotypical image of the male athlete. Known for its rigid view of masculinity, hockey has long upheld a narrow ideal of manhood.
Sport is ultimately about taking pleasure in watching other bodies move and excel. In Emotionally Attached, recontextualized NHL broadcast quotes encounter, distort and, at times, make intimate the male gaze in mainstream sport — that same male gaze that idolizes and fetishizes young athletes' performing bodies while tightly controlling those identities. This provocative series challenges the conservative culture around identity in hockey, sparking a playful yet thought-provoking dialogue through photography about how we perceive and talk about athletes' bodies, ultimately inviting viewers to reconsider the norms surrounding masculinity in sport.
I Am Emotionally Attached to These Men opens March 14, and runs to April 15, with a reception party at Roadrunner Vintage (1006 Macleod Tr SE). The launch will coincide with the Calgary Flames’ Pride Night.
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