 Richard Watts speaks with
Pedro Virgil about his new collection of photographs.
A background in creating gory make-up and prosthetic effects
for horror films and television seems like an unlikely stepping stone to
becoming an internationally renowned photographer; but that’s the unique path that
was taken by Australia’s
Pedro Virgil.
“Basically I majored in blood and gore,” Virgil laughs. “Special
effects basically gave me a background in cinematography, because I worked on a
lot of short films and some big features, and I had real interest in creating
stories, creating sets and creating characters.”
The skills Virgil honed on movie sets are displayed to
spectacular advantage in his new photographic collection, Gods of Sport (published by Bruno Gmünder). Over its 224 pages, a
strong sense of narrative and composition, coupled with dramatic lighting bring
his photographs of rugby and Australian Rules players to vivid and striking
life.
“If you look at the actual imagery, they’re not represented
as actual rugby players; they’re represented as different characters within set
environments. It’s pretty much an extension of what I used to do in film,” the
photographer explains.
The book grew out of an earlier project with which Virgil
was involved, the charity fundraising calendar Naked for a Cause; which saw 26 players from two different codes
strip off for his camera in order to raise money for The McGrath Foundation,
which battles breast cancer in rural Australia.
So how do all those big, muscular footy players react to
getting their gear off in front of Virgil, especially given that a sizeable
number of people buying both Gods of
Sport and the Naked for a Cause calendar
will be gay men?
 “Ten or 20 years ago it would have been something really
foreign for [the players] but its 2008 now, and we’re constantly bombarded with
athletes and sports stars who are promoting new campaigns for clothing, for
fragrances and what-not. So these guys are very aware of what goes on in the
media, and it’s almost become acceptable to be fussed over, and primed and
pruned and photographed.”
“And a lot of them are really excited to take part in
something like this,” Virgil adds, “because they understand it’s an opportunity
to be put into the spotlight in a way that’s different to how they appear on
the field. The fact that it’s for charity is another way of justifying it,
apart from just getting the opportunity to expose themselves in a different
way.”
Football players exposing themselves? Now that’s a game I’d like to see!
Gods of Sport retails for $129.99 (including free shipping anywhere
in Australia)
from www.nakedforacause.com.au
 |
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
