Lucha Libre! Masked Mexican Wrestlers powerslam George Eastman House this fall

Photographs from Mexico City's Fundación Televisa illustrate cultural phenomenon lucha libre from 1940 to today; exhibition also features film clips and memorabilia

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — This fall George Eastman House presents Lucha Libre! Masked Mexican Wrestlers, a spectacular selection of photographs, films, and fan memorabilia from Mexico City that provide a journey through the real and imaginary world of Mexican lucha libre (free from) professional wrestling. The exhibition is on view Sept. 15 through Jan. 27, 2008.

The featured images of masked Mexican wrestlers and wrestling matches — spanning six decades, from 1940 to 2007 —include original prints and contemporary reproductions, ranging in size from photomurals to postcards. Deeply rooted in Mexican pop culture, wrestling matches are more than just a favorite sport to Mexicans. These modern-day physicals and symbolic spectacles recall the ancient battles of Roman gladiators and Aztec warriors, where wrestling arenas became stages for the most complex, riotous events imaginable.

Confrontations between the "heavies" and "good guys" appeal to those craving basic storytelling as well more intense psychology, both transcending the boundaries of the ring. From television to comic books and from street art to virtual animation, most visual forms of Mexican fine arts and pop culture have paid tribute to the wrestling match mythology.

The masks that the luchadores wear have become iconic symbols of Mexican and Mexican-American culture. Lucha libre moved beyond a regional phenomenon in the 1930s when Salvador Lutteroth brought wrestlers from the United States to Mexico, giving the sport an international foothold.

The exhibition was created under the auspices of the Fundación TelevisaÕs Visual Arts Division and George Eastman House. Also integrated into the exhibition will be journalistic assignments, portrait photography, documentaries, and artistic projects.

Lucha Libre! Masked Mexican Wrestlersis part of the three-exhibition series titled Lucha Libre y más, on view at Eastman House this fall. The other exhibitions in the series, which focuses on extreme gender representation, are Male & Female and The Tease. For more information about George Eastman House exhibitions, please visit eastmanhouse.org or call (585) 271-3361.

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