On 1 January 2012, visual artist Stuart Sandford — possibly best known for his photography capturing the sexual and cultural connotations of the male form — began a year-long project, Bodybuilding, during which he aims to transform himself from an artist to an athlete. Two months on, how is he doing?
PPcom: What were the inspirations for this project?
SS: I’m very much interested in the male form — you can just look at my work to see that. Even though it was supposed to be a celebration of my life and the lives of my friends and lovers, though, I had very few self-portraits. So I began to think I would like to work with myself as the main subject within a body of work.
Then the Olympics started to figure. We have had massive diversions of cash ear-marked for the arts, for creative groups around the UK, going to the Olympics — specifically to put the infrastructure in to host the Games. So I thought: perhaps I can turn myself almost into an athlete as a satirical look at this situation. If I’m going to be working with myself as the main subject anyway, perhaps this would be the perfect way to do it.
Also, my ex was very into going to the gym, and I became fascinated by the science behind what you can do with your body.
PP.com: Was there much reaction from the bodybuilding community?
SS: On one bodybuilding forum, the response was 50-50; half of them were saying: “Great idea”, “Really good luck to him”, “Even if he only gets people going to the gym, fantastic.” Then the other half were saying: “This is ridiculous”, “Who does this guy think he is?”, and “I go to the gym every day and I don’t call it ‘Art’!”. Other people, who think of me traditionally as a photographer, were confused; someone said to me: “You just want to go to the gym for a year and get paid for it.” Well, if you look at my work and what it deals with, then I think you can easily see that isn’t the case.
PP.com: Do you have a set schedule in mind?
SS: There is a “beginners” competition at the end of April, 2013. Essentially, for the 12 months taking me up to January 2013, I’ll be trying to put on as much muscle as possible, and then from January ‘till April, for four months, I’ll be trying to get rid of as much fat on my body as possible. Within that timeframe, I have cosmetic goals — I’d like to see my six-pack sooner or later! — and it’d be great if I was in good shape by the summer, which I think I will. But my main goal is to bulk up by January 2013, and then to start cutting for the April competition.
PP.com: We’re coming up to the end of the second month — how’s it going?
SS: I think it’s going well. This week hasn’t gone so well because I’ve been ill, so I’ve only made it to the gym twice, and neither of the sessions were particularly great. But I can see that there are improvements in the cosmetic me, and I am becoming stronger; every time I go to the gym, I’m able to add weight to specific movement and exercises. But I’m not a patient man; I would obviously like it to happen quicker, but I think it’s best to take it slow, because if I injure myself, then essentially I’m buggered for the rest of the project, possibly the rest of my life. While I would like it to progress quicker, I know that I need to go slowly.
PP.com: To what extent are you finding out the way, in terms of diet and exercise routine, while you’re doing it?
SS: I did a lot of research before I started the project, talking to trainers, to nutritionists. I’d had personal trainers before, so I talked to a couple of people who prepared plans for me, both diet and training-wise. So I do have a team of people who are working with me, but I think it will go in sections; although I’m working with one person right now, in a couple of months it’ll change to the next person. One of the people on board is Petr Pavelec, current British Champion in Bodybuilding at USN Novice Finals. I will be working with him at some point because, obviously, he’s the man in the know!
PP.com: So, you’re learning quite a lot about bodybuilding yourself?
SS: Yeah. I’m fascinated by it. If I wasn’t interested by the physiological aspects of it, I don’t think I would be able to drag myself out of bed to do it.
PP.com: Apart from having a great body as physical evidence of the project, how else is Bodybuilding being ‘recorded’?
SS: Initially, it was supposed to be through a few different media; photographic, video, a blog — resulting in an exhibition and a book. What I really wanted to focus on was making it into a feature-length film, a kind of “SuperSize Me with Muscles”! I haven’t been able to raise the finances to do these aspects of the project; when people can actually see the results of what I’ve been doing, then I can possibly then approach them and turn it into what I think it deserves to be. At the moment it’s just a blog; it’s me tweeting and putting up pictures every now and again.
Actually, not getting the funding has freed me from any of those responsibilities. I can concentrate on the aspects of the project which don’t require me being out there making photographs or making films, or hiring other people. I can just focus on the actual physical core of the project, which is the most important part.
PP.com: You’re best known for your photographic work. Is Bodybuilding a deliberate extreme choice of project?
SS: I’ve always been a visual artist who works with specific mediums, depending on the project. I really enjoyed doing photography, but it has its limitations. I do other things too. As an artist, I think it’s very important, not so much to reinvent yourself but to challenge yourself.
To follow Stuart’s progress, head to: www.stuartsandfordbodybuilding.com
First published by PinkPaper.com.
