‘The Squared Circle’ packs a punch

OK I admit it. I like boxing. Not the real kind of boxing where people actually hit each other. Everything else—the accoutrements. I love the gym’s depressingly dingy walls usually painted that pale sea foam green. Can anyone tell me why sea foam green? The dingy white mats, the graying punching bags. The beat up red leather of the little speed bags, the billowy shape and softness of the boxing gloves. I even like the Everlast logo. Of course you have to love the sweaty men bouncing around in their ballet slippers, wearing satin boxer shorts. It’s meant to be funny right? It’s so cute and macho at the same time. But when they actually hit each other, they ruin it. If you are anything like me you will love the boxing show The Squared Circle: Boxing in Contemporary Art at the Walker Art Center. It’s perfect: all the romance without too much of the reality—the art without the gore of this blood sport.

As we enter the show we see English photographer Bridget Smith’s large lush cibacrome print on aluminum of an empty Thai boxing ring. The deep red of the ropes, fence, and poles; the dirty white mat, and eerie bluish light. Above all of this is a lit up, all too familiar, ‘Coke’ sign written in Thai. Miguel Ric Branco from the Canary Islands has some beautiful color photos; “Hanging Shadow” is of a man shadow boxing. The mans image is a blur, the photo is printed with a very soft focus. Like a macho romance novel cover. Spanish photographer Ana Busto’s intensely charged photos combine head shots and hand shots. Busto has been following pro and amateur boxing for years. “Night Fights” are six photos from a body of work. We see three large, beautiful prints of heads and beneath them, three beautiful photos of their hands. The first head is the unmistakable Don King. My God, that hair. King’s face has a look of concentration and determination that is frightening. Beneath the photo of his face we see the photo of his swollen bejeweled fingers and wrist. Not since Liberace has a man worn that many diamonds.

The most horrifying piece in the show is “Mamma.” Artist Marcella Vanzo from Italy has sewn the image of a “mother” onto a punching bag. Next to this bizarre effigy is a video of Vanzo punching the “Mamma” bag, while opera music plays. The horrifying part was standing next to two teenage boys who laughed way too loud and way too long while watching the video. As the mother of a boy, it made me nervous.

Costa Rican artist Priscilla Monge’s piece “Be Quiet and Sing” is of boxing helmets with music boxes in the mouth hole. They each play something different, “Memories,” “O Solo Mio,” “Yesterday,” “Imagine,” etc. Why has conceptualism become so cute? Clearly this is a piece of idea art. But why is the idea so simple? Salla Tykka from Finland is also an idea artist. Two photos side by side, one is of a man who bolds white plastic boxing shields up against his chest. The other photo is of Tykka who has painted her breasts white in the shape of the boxing shields. This is supposed to exemplify the idea that her breasts are both a target and protection. Is this meant to be adorably clever? TV’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” has more depth to it than that. The art world had better be careful or we won’t be able to snub the entertainment world anymore. Not that Hollywood ever noticed anyway.

There are also wonderful drawings and paintings by Paul Mullins and Nicolas Africano. Mullins’ 50 graphite ink and mixed media on paper are beautiful. Meticulous and fluid, these portraits of out of shape, headless, truncated men, usually lying down, are captivating. There is such joy in a beautiful little sketch. Nicolas Africano’s four cartoon-like paintings are self-portraits made for a dying friend. We see an extremely hairy awkward little man, shadow boxing. The first image shows the punch line, the painting of a shadow alone with the words “I beat this fucker up” written across it. The following three pieces show Africano intently shadow boxing. Executed in almost R. Crumb cartoon like style, Africano’s self portraits are painted on top of a bright yellow paper. Very colorful, very nice.

The best shadowboxing piece in this show is by the seminal artist Vito Acconci. This masterpiece from 1970 shows Acconci very intently trying to beat up his shadow. He repeatedly hits the wall wearing no gloves in his black street clothes. We see him bobbing and weaving, throwing many jabs, trying combinations, and sneaking up on his shadow opponent. It’s hilarious because Acconci is so serious when he does it. He imbues this nonsense with the perfect amount of angst-ridden-take-me-seriously-I’m-a-N.Y.-Artist attitude.

To really appreciate The Squared Circle: Boxing in Contemporary Art, it helps to go to this show right after a kick boxing class. (I go to one of the best taught by Kelli Klein at the YWCA.) My instructor taught me “when you’ve got your dukes up, always keep your feet planted, knees slightly bent, never fully extend your arm, and swing with your whole body.” Enjoy the beauty and silliness of boxing, without the actual punching.

The Squared Circle: Boxing in Contemporary Art just completed its run at the Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Mpls. 612-375-7622.