Oil Wrestling

I​ ​was​ ​confronted​ ​with​ ​contradiction​ ​when​ ​I​ ​penned​ ​an​ ​article​ ​for​ ​an​ ​online​ ​news​ ​site. Accompanied​ ​alongside​ ​my​ ​photographs​ ​I​ ​boldly​ ​wrote​ ​how​ ​I​ ​believed​ ​wrestling​ ​culture’s perspective​ ​on​ ​masculinity​ ​was​ ​incompatible​ ​with​ ​how​ ​it​ ​presented​ ​itself,​ ​appearing​ ​socially conservative​ ​but​ ​presenting​ ​itself​ ​so​ ​queerly​ ​to​ ​me​.​ ​​One​ ​photograph​ ​I​ ​created​ ​emphasized​ ​the skin-tight​ ​red​ ​spandex​ ​of​ ​a​ ​wrestling​ ​singlet​ ​against​ ​a​ ​wrestlers​ ​chest​ ​while​ ​another​ ​photograph showed​ ​a​ ​touching​ ​and​ ​quiet​ ​embrace​ ​between​ ​two​ ​wrestlers.​ ​The​ ​response​ ​to​ ​the​ ​article​ ​was overwhelmingly​ ​negative.​ ​​ ​I​ ​received​ ​death-threats​ ​among​ ​the​ ​various​ ​invocations​ ​of​ ​violence from​ ​self-identified​ ​wrestlers​ ​and​ ​other​ ​users.​ ​​ ​Agitated​ ​commentators​ ​denied​ ​its​ ​queerness​ ​and also​ ​spoke​ ​of​ ​my​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​authenticity,​ ​research,​ ​and​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​wrestling​ ​culture​ ​as reasoning​ ​for​ ​their​ ​denial.​ ​What​ ​I​ ​was​ ​taught​ ​to​ ​feel​ ​about​ ​wrestling​ ​and​ ​what​ ​I​ ​was​ ​actually feeling​ ​were​ ​at​ ​odds​ ​with​ ​one​ ​another.​ ​Culturally​ ​I​ ​was​ ​supposed​ ​to​ ​view​ ​the​ ​sport​ ​and​ ​wrestlers as​ ​strong,​ ​traditional,​ ​masculine,​ ​powerful,​ ​normative​ ​figures​ ​but​ ​that​ ​isn’t​ ​what​ ​I​ ​saw​ ​or​ ​what​ ​I felt.​ ​Frustrated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​reaction​ ​to​ ​my​ ​article​ ​and​ ​filled​ ​with​ ​self-doubt​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​an in-depth,​ ​artistic​ ​exploration​ ​of​ ​wrestling​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​its​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​masculinity​ ​to​ ​prove these​ ​wrestlers​ ​wrong.

Recognizing​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​more​ ​valid​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​the​ ​comments​ ​made​ ​I​ ​continued​ ​to​ ​learn about​ ​and​ ​photograph​ ​wrestling.​ ​Where​ ​my​ ​interests​ ​led​ ​me​ ​was​ ​a​ ​matter​ ​of​ ​the​ ​heart​ ​and​ ​never felt​ ​forced​ ​for​ ​myself.​ ​I​ ​became​ ​a​ ​regular​ ​attendee​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Naval​ ​Academy’s​ ​wrestling competitions​ ​in​ ​​Annapolis,​ ​Maryland​ ​​where​ ​I​ ​watched​ ​and​ ​learned​ ​the​ ​sport​ ​alongside​ ​wrestlers. I ​​talked ​​with ​​world​ ​freestyle ​​wrestling ​​gold ​​medalist ​​Mehran ​​Mirzaiee, مهرانمیرزای ​ی​,​​​ about wrestling’s​ ​popularity​ ​in​ ​Iran​ ​in​ ​comparison​ ​to​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States.​ ​I​ ​archived​ ​thousands​ ​of wrestling​ ​photographs​ ​from​ ​institutions​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​​National​ ​Archives​ ​and​ ​Records​ ​Administration and​ ​from​ ​personal​ ​instagram​ ​accounts​ ​such​ ​as​​ ​turkish​ ​pehlivan​ ​Sefa​ ​Yeşilkaya.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​read comments​ ​on​ ​my​ ​article​ ​years​ ​later​ ​I​ ​understand​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​viewpoints​ ​voiced.​ ​So​ ​often​ ​the​ ​wrestling imagery​ ​we​ ​consume​ ​such​ ​as​ ​photographs​ ​of​ ​turkish​ ​oil​ ​wrestling​ ​are​ ​simplified​ ​to​ ​being​ ​“gay”​ ​and sexualized​ ​while​ ​dismissing​ ​the​ ​cultural​ ​context​ ​and​ ​nuances​ ​the​ ​sport​ ​and​ ​imagery​ ​contains​ ​and​ ​I​ ​added to​ ​this​ ​assumption.​ ​After​ ​six​ ​years​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​this​ ​project​ ​I​ ​have​ ​come​ ​to​ ​​believe​ ​however​ ​that wrestling​ ​provides​ ​a​ ​space​ ​for​ ​progressive​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​masculinity​ ​to​ ​be​ ​practiced.

​Wrestling​ ​culture​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​a​ ​context​ ​wherein​ ​its​ ​athletes​ ​are​ ​pulling,​ ​pushing, and​ ​ignoring​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​traditional​ ​masculinity​ ​willing​ ​or​ ​unwitting.​ ​Because​ ​of​ ​wrestling’s incredible​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​history,​ ​religion,​ ​athleticism,​ ​culture,​ ​nationalism,​ ​I​ ​find​ ​this​ ​belief​ ​to be​ ​an​ ​incredibly​ ​powerful​ ​one.​ ​Though​ ​my​ ​work​ ​on​ ​wrestling​ ​stands​ ​as​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​body that​ ​chronicles​ ​the​ ​human​ ​fascination​ ​with​ ​the​ ​athletic​ ​form,​ ​my​ ​use​ ​of​ ​photography​ ​extends​ ​this conversation​ ​by​ ​intentionally​ ​framing​ ​our​ ​perspective.​ ​I​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​my​ ​series​ ​on​ ​wrestling with​ ​no​ ​end​ ​in​ ​site,​ ​not​ ​only​ ​because​ ​I’ve​ ​found​ ​myself​ ​as​ ​a​ ​wrestling​ ​fan,​ ​but​ ​because​ ​my​ ​beliefs compel​ ​me​ ​to​ ​do.