This is the home of Backyard Fights, a fighting event Chris "Scarface" Wilmore started as part of his "Guns Down, Gloves Up" crusade. "Let's give these guys who have a dispute some place to solve it," Scarface says. A place where, he hopes, "They won't severely hurt each other or go to jail."Brian Finke's visual cultural commentary focuses on authenticity and the absurdity of everyday life-and the whole range of human behavior. A stylized documentarian and trained photojournalist, Finke's honesty and intimacy when capturing subjects strikes at the core of contemporary life, with a uniquely American point of context and graphic sensibility.Often with boundary pushing subject matter, Finke challenges the viewer to confront what is often right in front of them, with an almost surreal understanding of immediacy, time, and place. From street photography to commercial portraiture to fashion editorials, his immersion into the culture-at-large occasions the imagery for which he's known-deeply tied to the political and emotional undertones of the modern world.
Backyard Fights