Film and Video Umbrella

PROJECTS

This Sporting Life

2002

Julie Henry

'This Sporting Life' work continues Julie Henry's fascination with popular sub-cultures and their particular 'rituals' and interactions, while exploring the widest definition of 'sport' as framed by broadcast television.

Inspired by the fast-disappearing social phenomena of 'pub-sports' (arm-wrestling, table-football, skittles etc) the piece takes footage from the Yorkshire TV series 'Indoor League', (originally broadcast from 1973-79 and arguably the high spot of pub-sport exposure) and 're-contextualises' it using current digital post-production techniques.

'This Sporting Life' attempts to convey the spectacle, drama and entertainment that can be afforded by any sport in a language that is understood by the contemporary viewer. It playfully suggests a visual answer to the question "what if table-skittles rather than say, darts or snooker or curling had received massive sports-media exposure."

Cornerhouse, 11-May-02 to 23-Jun-02
70 Oxford Street Manchester M1 5NH

Impressions Gallery, 07-Dec-02 to 01-Feb-03
29 Castlegate York Y01 9RN

BCA Gallery, 05-Apr-03 to 10-May-03
33 Castle Lane Bedford MK40 3XD