Vs : Wrestling Art is a group exhibit featuring art inspired by wrestling. Artists include Matthew Couper, Dan45 Hernandez, Gig Depio, Brian Martinez, John McVay, Krystal Ramirez, Sara Jean Odom, Manny Perez, Jason Ramos, JK Russ, CJ T, CKW Artistry, Montaysia Yuneek Sims, Martin Kreloff, and Robert Beckmann.
As WrestleMania makes its return to Las Vegas for the second time in history, Vs: Wrestling Art celebrates the enduring connection between wrestling and the arts. WrestleMania 41, set to take place in April 2025, marks the first time since 1993 that the spectacle has graced the Entertainment Capital of the World—when WrestleMania IX unfolded under the open sky at Caesars Palace. Now, three decades later, Las Vegas once again welcomes the collision of power, performance, and pageantry that defines one of the world’s biggest wrestling events.
Professional wrestling has always been more than a contest of strength—it is an art form in itself. From its roots in ancient Greco-Roman competition to its evolution into a globally recognized spectacle, wrestling has incorporated elements of theater, music, and visual storytelling. The dramatic choreography of the ring, the operatic intensity of rivalries, and the spectacle of costumes and personas meld into what is now referred to as “sports entertainment.” Even WrestleMania itself has engaged with the art world; the first event in 1985 featured pop art icon Andy Warhol and musicians Liberace and Cyndi Lauper.
|
|
|
|
Wrestling comes in many forms, each with its own unique traditions and cultural significance. This exhibition highlights male and female professional wrestling, the Mexican-style of lucha libre, the Japanese national sport of sumo, and even the “man vs. self” mental wrestling of internal conflict -- showcasing just a handful of ways in which wrestling has taken shape across the world and throughout history.
Art has, in turn, drawn inspiration from wrestling for centuries. Classical sculpture immortalized combat in works like the Uffizi Wrestlers (3rd century BCE), capturing the raw tension of grappling athletes. A biblical perspective is depicted in Paul Gauguin’s Vision after the Sermon: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, while Thomas Eakins’ studies of wrestlers emphasized the human form in motion, merging fine art with sport.
As Las Vegas once again hosts the grand spectacle of WrestleMania, Vs: Wrestling Art serves as a reminder that wrestling is more than physical sport—it is theater, it is music, it is visual art. It is a battle of bodies and ideas, performed in arenas and in a variety of art mediums alike.
On exhibit at Sahara West library through May 3, 2025
Reception featuring Big Valley Wrestling on Thursday, March 6, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Add a comment to: Vs: Wrestling Art