BRIAN HOWELL

One Ring Circus (2005)
large format b/w giclee tiling photo panels

Howell produced these photos after spending six months on the road and backstage with the ECCW (Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) wrestlers.

“Wrestling in North America is dominated by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a wrestling promotion formerly known as the WWF, and whose extravagant televised matches are watched by millions around the world. The “minor leagues” of the wrestling world are the purview of independent operations such as ECCW, headquartered in Surrey, BC, whose territory is the Pacific Northwest. ECCW shows travel as far north as Prince Rupert near the Alaskan border, across the Gulf of Georgia to Vancouver Island, and over the line to Washington State. The wrestlers perform in towns and smaller cities, in community centres, high school gymnasiums, Legion Halls, and other low-overhead venues, in front of die-hard fans who treat them like stars.

Again and again, they put on their masks, costumes and makeup, and get into the ring, where promised grudge matches are fulfilled, old challenges met, and new tag created to fight “for the first time ever”. At the end of the evening, the lights go up, the ring is dismantled, and chairs are stacked; autographs are signed and bloodied faces washed clean. But the age-old story of good versus evil will play out again: familiar characters will soon be back. And so will the fans.”(from the Preface to One Ring Circus, Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver).

BIOGRAPHY:

Howell is a photographer based in Vancouver. He has produced editorial work for Canadian publications The Globe & Mail, The National Post and Geist. One Ring Circus was exhibited in its original format at Contact Photography Festival 2004 in Toronto. The version presented here was remade specially for this exhibition.