Wednesday, 6 February 2008

The Octagon Exhibition

Non-art lovers and casual fans of MMA, don't worry if you start reading this post with no idea as to what I'm talking about. Unless you're a follower of photography or a rich patron of the most dynamic combat sport in the world, you probably haven't heard about the book simply titled 'Octagon'.

Octagon is the result of a four-year project by photographer Kevin Lynch. A commercial photographer based out of LA, he was commissioned by the UFC to document the organisation with view to putting it into a high quality tome accessible only to those with large amounts of disposable income. The standard version of this book (yes, there is also a deluxe version) comes in at a staggering $2,500.

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But then Octagon is no normal book. At 20 inches by 26 inches and over 400 pages long, it is hand bound in finest Italian leather and printed on paper so thick you could build a house out of it.

But what about the inside? Those who were aware of the book's release were so focussed on the physical nature of the book the contents were often ignored. Well that's understandable, as most people have never laid eyes on a copy, let alone had chance to peruse its pages.

Last week a friend and I visited Hamiltons Gallery. Tucked away on a side street in a very moneyed area of London, this intimate space is one of London's leading exhibitors of contemporary photography, yet even they had to think twice about bringing Lynch's work to the capital's art lovers. "We weren't sure what kind of reaction we would get," said Charlie, gallery manager at Hamiltons. "But everyone who has come through here has been really positive."

I met Charlie in Newcastle a few hours after BJ Penn had completed his demolition of Joe Stevenson. He was in full-on party mode having just had his first taste of a live MMA event. In tow was Kevin, having come over from the States to be there for the opening night of the exhibition two nights previous.

Lynch is a slight man with a scholarly air. He was wearing a hoodie advertising Redbelt, the MMA movie scripted by David Mamet, who wrote an introductory essay to Octagon. Lynch certainly doesn't come across as the kind of person who would normally be a fan of MMA, and it is exactly this quality that makes Octagon so interesting.

The Book


If you're expecting Octagon to be full of the greatest action pictures ever taken, you're going to be disappointed. Instead, Octagon is mostly comprised of portraits. If you've ever seen The Ultimate Fighter, you'll have seen them on the walls of the dressing rooms the fighters warm up in before the elimination fights. They follow a simple format. A straight on shot of the athlete before the fight, and another after. Usually presented side-by-side, the differences can either be minute (a bead of sweat on the brow signalling a quick and easy win) or severe (misshapen faces, open gashes, closed eyes and crushed noses).

The juxtaposition is simple yet striking, and each portrait conjures up visions of how the contest must have played out. No description is given, so whether the battered face is that of a victor in left unsaid.

There are a small number of staged shoots that explore movement with various well-known fighters either shadow boxing or jumping around in front of Lynch's lens, and there are numerous reportage-style images of pre and post-fight situations, locker rooms, backstage corridors and so on. The insertion of these helps to describe the lifespan of an event and pace the book, slowing it and allowing the powerful portraits to stand out. Yet the documentary side of Octagon could have worked equally well if done as a separate project.

The action photos are maybe a little disappointing at first, at least to educated observers. They are often abstract and at odds with traditional sports photography methods, but then you remember Lynch is an outsider to the game and his pedigree is in fashion. It is then they start to become clear. The angles taken, the moments chosen and the positions presented are those of someone gradually becoming familiar with a deep and complex entity. On the surface, mixed martial arts is as simple as you can imagine: Put two men in a caged arena, allow them to fight under predetermined rules until one is declared winner.

Jess Liaudin right in the centre of a huge double-page spread from UFC 70. Check out the t-shirt


But there are layers to be peeled away, and Lynch's unsullied eye picks them out where an insider would take them for granted. It is this quality that makes Octagon so special. Had another equally skilled photographer taken on the project, there is no doubt he could have produced something just as visually impressive as Lynch. But would it have been as interesting? I doubt it. I doubt it very much. Because at times there is an innocence to his approach, sometimes a wariness and quite often a respectful distance. Lynch knows he is being given access to places and moments off-limits to all but the most trusted of team members. Via him, so are we.

As a body of work, Octagon is stunning. It contains some of the most striking portraits I've ever seen, but more importantly it is a fascinating record of four years in the life of the UFC, in particular a period where the sport grew from struggling curiosity to full-blown sensation.

posted by Fighters Only Mag Editor at Wednesday, February 06, 2008 << Back To Main Page