CR Blog

Crouch. Touch. Pause. Engage

Graphic Design, Photography

Posted by Creative Review, 18 October 2011, 16:27    Permalink    Comments (19)

Coinciding with the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday, creative agency Rosie Lee and photographer John Ross take a close-up look at the sport

 

Into The Fray is a self-initiated project "to visualise the power and strength of rugby players, and freeze-frame it" say the agency. To this end, they built a giant glass tank and paccked in as many rugby boys as the space would allow.

 

Ross then photographed the results

 

This video completes the project (music by Scanner)

 

John Ross has also created the cover images for the November issue of CR, using his camera's digital back to create a modern take on the photogram. Here's a hint of what he came up with:

 

 

 

CR in Print

 

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19 Comments

Homo-erotic much?
Davo
2011-10-18 17:58:10

Love these! Great idea!
Nat
2011-10-18 20:11:55

I like the concept, the technique and the outcome. Brave of the players/models to do it without clothes... and with convincing facial expressions too!
bluepigcreative
2011-10-19 10:17:15

interesting concept but did they really have to be naked? the jigsaw of rugby kits might have made for a more dynamic and abstract composition/canvas, making it difficult to place the origin of the arms, legs and heads collided into the scrum.

Also, the last photograph, though it may well be a legitimate rugby tackle posture, seems wildly inappropriate give the fact one players front is directly into another players behind, coupled with the raging expressions makes for a very obviously homoerotic - borderline pornographic image.

but it is also rare that a client would commit so openly to such a wild creative vision - so I do respect the players for their trust in the vision and the concept is very interesting, at least when realised in the first selection of photographs in the series. The last image does not seem appropriate whatsoever.
Mark
2011-10-19 14:16:47

Nice idea. I think it goes a long way to get across the physicality of the game whilst allowing it to be passable as an artistic platform
Tom
2011-10-19 15:22:03

human centipede anyone?
Sergethew
2011-10-19 15:28:37

The title Crouch. Touch. Pause. Engage caught my eye.
I am a fan because I used to play rugby!
Muddyum
2011-10-19 15:29:20

awkward.
splat
2011-10-19 17:58:02

[deleted by moderator]
Jacko
2011-10-20 12:34:00

Where's the ref? Very obviously hands in the ruck there. Definite penalty.
Barry
2011-10-20 14:35:20

I like it
Stefano Moro
2011-10-20 16:55:51

This wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful if they were clothed. Seeing there skin rub and flatten against the glass gives a much more vivid picture of how much of a contact sport this is over pampered sports (I'm looking at you football). Rugby is generally watched by the middle to upperclass, if you're making immature observations, (homoerotica) maybe you should watch football? Yes they are rubbing up against each other, clothed or not the positions are the same.
DPeart
2011-10-20 22:51:02

WOW! naked hunks! woo-hoo!
Claire
2011-10-21 10:12:23

I'm sure if they were all naked women there wouldn't be as many complaints.
Chris
2011-10-21 15:56:24

The models are never going to live this one down. Great shots. I love the high contrast and dark look. I don't think you hit the mark on this project though. I can't even think of rugby when all I see are naked guys rubbing their junk on each other.
T.V.
2011-10-21 16:15:26

These images evoke the naked male athletics of ancient Greece. They are indeed homoerotic but also beautiful. The images could be translated into bas reliefs to embellish a monument to athletics, much like the frieze of the Parthenon - and in a couple of thousand years (or less) be exhibited as world-class treasures in the British Museum!
rob
2011-10-21 17:22:07

they are great where can i get prints
suzy griffiths
2011-10-31 17:34:00

Just incredible... saw a behind the scenes video of this and it is just as interesting.

The shots kind of give you a feeling of the what it must be like in a scrum...
Yorkshire Wedding Photographer
2011-11-19 07:46:46

On the 'Crouch - touch - pause - engage' thing. Have you ever noticed that the forwards ALWAYS pause before the referee tells them to? :-)
Ian Wilkinson
2012-02-26 14:52:04

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