Peter studied at The Newport School of Documentary Photography in Wales. After graduating he worked with numerous national and international clients as an editorial photographer based in the North of England. More recently Peter has dedicated his time to travelling whilst exploring the art of medium format photography. He has exhibited various works in galleries across the UK. Today we share his series, Wrestling.
Wrestling
Professional wrestling was televised in the UK from the 50’s until the late 80’s. I watched it on tv as a child during the seventies and always found it incredibly interesting and great fun. I enjoyed the theatre of it all. There were guys bashing the hell out of each other but you kind of knew nobody really got hurt. The audience also interested me – they became so emotionally involved when there was a bit of skullduggery and would jump up screaming and shouting at the wrestlers.
There’s a strong link with theatre and wrestling. It was first seen in variety acts at the turn of the century in small theatres in working class towns and cities both here in the UK and in America. Back then the only affordable means of entertainment was the occasional night out at the local theatre, where an ensemble of performers, including singers, comedians and dancers would each put on a small act. Because of the theatrical nature of wrestling, it soon became the perfect companion for this form of entertainment. Wrestling remained popular even well after the demise of variety shows and is still seen today in predominantly working class areas.
To view more of Peter’s work, please visit his website.