Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing

Over 90 artists’ depictions of boxing, from Vito Acconci to Carrie Mae Weems

This book documents an expansive, traveling group exhibition centered on the sport, psychology, ethos and spectacle of boxing. Artists have often gravitated toward the “sweet science” as a subject, and have investigated the boxer as an icon and metaphor for excellence, physical power, perseverance, achievement and perhaps humanity itself, representing its wins and losses, regiment and fluidity, violence and artistry. Given the wealth of depictions of boxers throughout art history, this book explores the sport as inspiration with objects and works by more than 90 artists, ranging in time from ancient to contemporary, and spanning the media of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and film. The book is fully illustrated with an extensive plate section, and features new texts by artist and Founder of the Church, Eric Fischl, as well as Sara Cochran, Jonathan Rider, Arden Sherman and Robert Lipsyte.
Featured artists include: Muhammad Ali, Benny Andrews, Diane Arbus, Jean-Michel Basquiat, George Bellows, Judy Chicago, Rosalyn Drexler, Fab 5 Freddy, Eric Fischl, Chase Hall, Lyle Ashton Harris, Edward Hopper, Rashid Johnson, Martin Kippenberger, Justine Kurland, Glenn Ligon, Robert Mapplethorpe, Christian Marclay, Howardena Pindell, Ed Ruscha, Alison Saar, Andres Serrano, Carrie Mae Weems.

This book was published in conjunction with The FLAG Art Foundation, New York; The Church, Sag Harbor; Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach