30 Cork St. London W1S 3NG 5-7 Dover St. London W1S 4LD T: +44 (0)20 7287 7750 F: +44 (0)20 7287 7751 gallery@alonzakaim.com www.alonzakaim.com
CHRIS SMITH
MUHAMMAD ALI: SPEEDBALL 11 OCTOBER-23 NOVEMBER 2012 30 CORK ST. LONDON W1S 3NG
This publication coincides with the exhibition CHRIS SMITH MUHAMMAD ALI: SPEEDBALL On view: Thursday 11 October-Friday 23 November 2012 Alon Zakaim Fine Art 30 Cork St. London W1S 3NG Gallery opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm Weekends by appointment only Š 2012 Alon Zakaim Fine Art/Chris Smith. All rights reserved.
Front Cover: Speedball (detail) Opposite Page: Between Rounds
MUHAMMAD ALI: SPEEDBALL ‘I am the greatest, I said that before I even knew I was’ Alon Zakaim Fine Art is proud to present Muhammad Ali: Speedball, our first solo show dedicated to the iconic imagery of legendary British sports photographer Chris Smith. The exhibition, held in our Cork St gallery, will feature a selection of Smith’s most renowned shots of Muhammad Ali, images which reveal the complex personality of one of sport’s most controversial and influential characters. The works portray the composure and confidence of the self-proclaimed ‘greatest’ boxer, as well as Ali’s wit, intelligence and theatrical personality in the staged shots. For over thirty years, Chris Smith has been an influential and pivotal figure in the world of sports photography. His iconic images have developed the art form to give greater narrative to each shot, capturing not only the skill and strength of the athletes but also what drives them to succeed and the psychological characteristics they possess. Beginning work with the Observer in 1970, Smith moved to the Sunday Times in 1976, where he was to work for thirty years, covering virtually all the major sporting events of this period. His shots of Muhammad Ali capture the boxer at the height of his career; pieces such as Wrapping Up, Speedball and Ali Taping Hands show Ali as calm, confident and focused. Other works show his witty nature; Most Wanted Man, in which he holds a bounty notice for his ‘illegal whuppin’ of Joe Frazier’, recalls Ali’s trademark tactics of aggravating opponents prior to a fight (before the fight he famously quipped ‘Frazier is so ugly he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wildlife’). The classic image of Ali with the Beatles was taken in 1964, prior to the fight with Sonny Liston, and as the Beatles were beginning their first American tour. Chris Smith has received numerous awards in acknowledgement of his contributions to photography. He was awarded The Sports Photographer of the Year four times, as well as the Individual Sports Picture of the Year twice. He also won a Special Award in the SSF World Sports Photo Contest in 1995. He covered his first Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, and since then has documented most major sporting events, including the Football and Rugby World Cups, cricket, sailing, horseracing, and boxing. Smith lives and works in London. Alon Zakaim Fine Art is located at 30 Cork St. London W1S 3NG. Entry is free and the gallery opening hours are from 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday.
Morning Run Miami, 1971
Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee 5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
‘Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee' was the famous slogan Ali used to chant with his corner man Bundini Brown. Taken in 1971 at the famous 5th Street Gym in Miami, this portrait shows Ali as he was preparing for his first of three fights with Joe Frazier (Smokin’ Joe) by his great trainer Angelo Dundee. Billed as the ‘Fight of the Century,’ it took place at Madison Square Garden in New York. The final line of the slogan was appropriately 'RUMBLE, YOUNG MAN, RUMBLE'.
Mirror Image Deer Lake, Pennsylvania 1974
‘It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.’
Sparring 5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
5th St. Gym
5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
Everlast 5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
‘He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.’
Mug Shot
5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
Between Rounds
Madison Square Garden, New York, 1971
Ali Addresses Fans Nevada, 1980
Taken prior to Ali’s fight against Larry Holmes, this was a match many felt should not have taken place and is seen by some as having spurred on the Parkinson’s which was already manifesting itself in the boxer’s speech. Attempting to regain the heavyweight boxing title for an unprecedented fourth time, Ali came out of his two-year retirement at the age of 38 to take on the reigning champion Holmes. A one-sided contest in which Ali lost every round, this image records the poignancy of Ali’s late career; his courage at fighting the younger generation of boxers, his awesome physical presence despite his age, and the mesmerising effect he retained over the crowd in what was to be the second to last fight of his career.
Ali Versus The Beatles 5th St. Gym, Miami, 1964
Ali met the fab four in 1964 at the famous 5th Street Gym in Miami, during the group's first tour of the US. Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) was training for his first encounter with the fearsome world champion Sonny Liston. At the time it was taken, the picture arguably contained the five most recognisable faces on the planet.
Speedball 5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
‘I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’ ’
Hard at the Gym
5th St. Gym, Miami, 1971
Wrapping Up Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, 1974
Deer Lake
Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, 1974
Miami Ghetto
Miami, 1971
New York New York, 1974
Most Wanted Man Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, 1974
Ali Throws a Punch Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, 1974
All works contained in this catalogue are available for sale as silver gelatin fibre based prints in the following sizes (paper size). Each is from an edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist. Please note that sizes may vary slightly due to photo format. 20 x 30� 34.5 x 48� 46 x 66�
30 Cork St. London W1S 3NG 5-7 Dover St. London W1S 4LD T: +44 (0)20 7287 7750 F: +44 (0)20 7287 7751 gallery@alonzakaim.com www.alonzakaim.com