Milligan’s new photography professor, Will Major, will have his own photography exhibit in the basement of Derthick’s art gallery at the Oct. 26-Nov. 14.
“It’s something Will has been working on since he was in his master’s program at Georgia,” said photography assistant A.J. Trabold. “He is very excited to bring it to Milligan.”
Trabold also explained that working with Major has been very rewarding so far. “He is helping me with my directed studies and is helping me push my ideas into new and strange areas,” he said.
“This exhibition is an exploration of independent wrestling, boxing, and mixed martial arts,” said Major. “It is a series of photographs and videos made of this subject matter, which attempt to decode the spectacle of these violent contact sports.”
Most of the photographs were taken at local boxing and wrestling matches in Northeast Georgia along with other sites in the southeast.
“Many of the images are site specific in nature,” said Major. “The stills and the formal delegated performances in the videos delve into a range of topics that include masculinity, body studies, race, socio-economics, theatrics and what constitutes a stage, motivation, creating personas and fighting against loneliness and isolation.”
“These pieces showcase the thin edge of professional and amateur performance,” said Major. “They show layers of who is the audience for this work, such as performing for the camera, performing for the artist, performing for the viewer in a gallery or performing in a non-space.”
This exhibit has been in planning for three years now. He said he has yet to show it all in one solo show, and is excited to see all of the elements come together.
At the end of this project, a photography book publication is in the works.
He is hoping to explore new material now that he is back in Johnson City, and he is excited to see all his work come together in one place, at his alma mater.
Headline photo: Will Major (photo credit to milligan.edu)