When we talk about hobbies and interests, there are people who like spending time indoors with a good book and they usually like arts and crafts, whereas the outdoor-loving ones are great fans of different sports and they lead a very active lifestyle, except maybe for those who just enjoy a good bet on aces. Even though arts and sports seem to be diametrically opposite, there are numerous examples of the two being intertwined. This unique mix usually results in great art pieces which redefine what art is meant to be.
This uncommon connectedness between arts and sports dates as far back to the fifth century BC when one of the world-wide famous sculpture, Discobolus, was created. The statue is made of marble and its creator is unknown, but it is believed to be the Roman replica of the original bronze sculpture created by Myron, an ancient artist. It portrays an athlete concentrating hard on flinging the discus with all the power he has in his body. In the original bronze version that was lost the athlete’s head was facing the discus whereas in many Roman marble replicas which are more famous than the original, the head was turned away from the discus probably by a mistake. Although criticized by many for its lack of emotion and the unnatural body pose, this sculpture is highly praised for its perfect proportion i.e. symmetry.
One of the most famous paintings portraying sports is definitely The Races at Longchamp. It was painted in 1867 by Edouard Manet, an amazed spectator who decided to immortalize this scene that took his breath away. The painting shows horses rushing down the track leaving behind them a trail of dust and an amazed audience. In an attempt to depict the power of the horses and their incredible speed, the artist blurred the faces of the audience, as well as the background, whereas the feet of the horses seem to be hovering off the ground.
One of the sculptures that is not as famous as the other two pieces of art, but definitely deserves to be mentioned, is The Sprinter by Bruce Larsen, a contemporary American artist, special effects artist and a sports fan. The American Sport Art Museum and Archives has labeled Larsen’s work as Repo-Renaissance. He created sculptures using recycled materials. His works are a perfect combination of a high skill of classical artists and the contemporary ecologically-friendly mindset which depict the power of human bodies and all their gracefulness.
The Future of Sports is an art installation which has stirred the attention of many art critics. It was set up by an artist Nicole Pinedo whose aim was to draw the Instagram-crazed Millenians. Her exhibit was designed around ten different sports represented in their own themed room all of which were made camera-friendly. The artist said that this installation combines two of her great passions: sport and arts and that she finally found a perfect way to merge the two into one by creating this interactive, pop up workout artsy space.
