Scroll Top

Mister Olympia

Photographic Sculpture
2007
01 | Dexter Jackson, 40x40x15cm
02 | Dexter Jackson
03 | Markus Rühl, 50x50x15cm
04 | Markus Rühl

Mister Olympia

Photographic Sculpture

2007

Pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl, conservation matboard, adhesives. Hand cut and assembled, 40x40x15cm and 50x50x15cm respectively.

«Mister Olympia» draws upon the notion of the human body as landscape. Different to my project «Heavenly Heights», that renders female breasts as mountains, it explores the geography of the male body by diving into the world of professional bodybuilding. As an artist I am naturally attracted by the affinity between sculpture and bodybuilding. In view of my oeuvre, however, I am particularly interested in the picturesque, landscape-like features of the muscular physique. The undulating topography of fleshly substance, striated muscles, bulging veins and oily polish evokes the image of majestic peaks and valleys otherwise only found in the high mountains. With this in mind, the project aims at taking super-masculinity to new heights. By blending images of chiseled torsos with topographic models of Mount Olympus, it turns the male muscle parts into even more powerful yet more surreal landscapes. Only now, that the already artfully constructed body undergoes another thorough revamp, the transformative nature of bodybuilding unfolds its full potential. Being Mount Olympus the highest mountain in Greece and the throne of the gods according to Greek mythology, I consider it the perfect match for my project. By providing my artwork’s genuine sculptural body, it accentuates both the bodybuilder’s physicality and mythical strength and emphasizes the emblematic power and dominance of his muscles. Nearly identical to the name of the mountain, the project, however, borrows its title from the world’s most prestigious bodybuilding competition held each year in Las Vegas. One of my protagonists, Dexter Jackson, won the title in 2008. His competitor Markus Rühl participated in the Mr. Olympia contest on seven occasions, but never made it to the podium.

Epilogue

Both portrays date from 2007 and thus fall under my earliest works. At that time, I could not care less about the origin of the pictures in my projects. For «Mister Olympia», I took them from the next best bodybuilding magazine. Made from mat board and archival photo paper, the final pieces looked as if sculpted from granite. Nonetheless, they turned unrecognizable shortly after completion as a result of water damage. This was the last and most powerful and for me by far the most painful of the bodybuilders’ transformations.

Privacy Preferences
When you visit our website, it may store information through your browser from specific services, usually in form of cookies. Here you can change your privacy preferences. Please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our website and the services we offer.