The photo exhibition, “Tied Together With a Bow”, is an insider’s perspective into the realm of women’s athletics, presenting an intimate look into the subculture of the Chapman softball team. An insider’s perspective, as a member of the team, offers an engaging experience that transcends mere observation by inviting viewers into a vibrant and multifaceted world. Showcasing the intimate details of the team through photographic work, the exhibition highlights aspects of hyperfemininity, girlhood, spectacle, rituals, superstitions, and interpersonal relationships.

“Tied Together With a Bow” is a photographic installation that features over 150 images across three walls. The photos are printed on matte paper in sizes ranging from 4x6 inches to 24x36 inches, and are hung salon style. Themes such as hyperfemininity, girlhood, and spectacle are explored in depth, revealing how these elements interplay with the competitive spirit and athletic prowess of the team. Paying close attention to the team's rituals and superstitions, shedding light on the ways in which these practices shape the athletes' identities and strengthen their connections with one another. This exploration provides a multifaceted view of sports, revealing both traditional stereotypes and lesser-known aspects of the athletic community, especially as it relates to women in sports. This portrayal emphasizes the unique identity of this specific subculture within the broader realm of athletics, while also evoking a sense of familiarity and fondness for the subjects. The show invites the viewer into this world and blurs the lines between insider and outsider.

By delving into the details of the team’s world, an in-depth look at the experiences of the athletes, capturing the camaraderie, shared rituals, and personal dynamics that make the team's subculture distinct is presented to the viewer. This perspective not only highlights the uniqueness of women's athletics but also celebrates the universal themes of teamwork, dedication, and the emotional bonds formed within the team. This intimate look into the world of women's athletics is both enlightening and heartwarming, providing a rare and valuable perspective on the subculture of female athletes.

This work is installed salon style, and taped directly to the wall. The photos themselves  and the overall installation format feel like a living organism allowing for a free-flowing and lively experience, reflecting the organic nature of the team and its dynamics. Photography serves as both a means of artistic expression and a documentary tool used to express the artist’s voice and vision and to record in a documentary/journalistic manner the subculture that is Chapman Softball. Shot predominantly with a manual digital camera, the show also features images taken with a manual film camera, a point-and-shoot digital camera, and a point-and-shoot film camera. The omnipresence of cameras during practices, games, and team events ensures a comprehensive portrayal of the team's journey, whether captured in the moment or recreated later. This diverse range of photographic techniques and equipment adds depth and texture to the exhibition, enhancing the viewer's understanding and appreciation of the team's experiences. From candid moments to carefully composed shots, each photograph contributes to the rich tapestry of the Chapman Softball narrative, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the world of women's athletics.

One of the inspirations for the format of the installation is Wolfgang Tillmans. The way Tillmans installs and shows his work, helped to shape the layout and installation process of this piece. Wolfgang doesn’t just capture images but the emotions and the fleeting moments of human connection and presents them in an abundant way where everything has meaning as important. When it came to the conceptual and physical aspects of the photographic work, Cathie Opie’s portraits of surfers and high school football players and Tommi Cahill’s documentary Yale series, “Sigma Nu”, were the projects that inspired me the most when researching and completing my work. Cathie Opie is a bearer of witness with her camera, creating portraits of her community that allow for a kind of self expression while still showing the subject’s individual and unique identity. Tommi Cahill’s “Sigma Nu” is driven by the fascination of the human spirit and the lengths one will go to capture it. Capturing something that is hidden or unknown to outsiders, and bringing the viewer into that world. Similarly Ed Templton’s “Wires Crossed” of skateboarders and skate culture, photography as a document. The barrier between the viewer and the skater goes away and a deeper connection is made with the subject. Finally the work of Petra Collins helped to drive and guide the fascination with hyperfemininity and the female gaze within sports. Petra Collins has a distinctive aesthetic, creating images about the female gaze that end up being intimate but somehow surreal. Her images are soft with a dreamy focus, using hazy and colored lighting and typically feminine objects like flowers, lingerie, and glitter are being shown.   

The entire show evolved over the course of the year coming together in the culmination of photographic installation. The project was born from an interest in sports photography and the intersection of femininity within sports and became a photographic exploration. The three walls show the course of this exploration, starting with the wall to the left of the entrance showcasing the typical decisive moment and strength and determination of the athletes.It sets the stage with classic imagery that resonates with viewers' expectations of sports photography. The largest wall has a documentary/journalistic approach, delving into the emotional depth, portraits, unseen aspects of sports, individual personality, and interpersonal relationships. The final wall to the right highlights the hyperfemininity and the girlhood that shines through the subjects of this show. The images are some of the largest in the whole installation, adorned with lots of sparkles and a dreamy blur creating a visually striking representation of femininity. 

 The exhibition fits into the contemporary art scene through a thoughtful approach to the subject matter. It moves beyond traditional sports photography by exploring the emotional and social intricacies of a subculture. By capturing the moments of celebration, intense emotion, camaraderie, girlhood, and hyperfemininity the photographer invites viewers to engage with the athletes' experiences on a deeper level. A project of spectatorship photography which speaks to the overall topic of spectatorship of women’s sports. The work is autobiographical and journalistic allowing for a subjective view of the identity of the subjects.  

This approach helps bridge the gap between sports and art, allowing viewers to appreciate the athleticism and passion of the players while also recognizing the broader cultural and personal narratives at play. Through the exhibition, the photographer offers a fresh perspective on women's athletics, emphasizing the importance of representation and visibility in both contemporary art and athletics. In regards to current events, more people watched the WNBA playoffs than the men’s, but players like Caitlin Clark are still offered only a fraction of the salary that the top men’s drafts are. There is a huge disparity between the treatment of women’s sports and men’s when there is no longer a huge disparity in popularity and spectatorship. Beyond capturing the athleticism and passion of the players, the exhibition serves as a platform for discussing the broader societal issues surrounding women's sports. It challenges the double standards and disparities in treatment, offering a poignant reminder of the value and importance of representation in both contemporary art and athletics.

Through its cohesive narrative and thoughtful presentation, “Tied Together With a Bow” transcends the boundaries between sports and art, inviting viewers to engage with the athletes' experiences on a deeper level while sparking important conversations about gender, representation, and equality in the realm of sports.

https://blogs.chapman.edu/alumni/2024/04/29/student-athlete-spotlight-katie-carder/