Rob McGrath
Calluses
‘Calluses’ challenges assumptions people might have about the working class and pro-wrestling. It started with an essay I read by Roland Barthes called, 'The World of Wrestling'. Here Barthes talks about how pro-wrestling gets looked down on, even though it is as valid a form of entertainment as opera, only that it’s geared towards the working class. Both of these activities are putting on a show, one just appeals more to a 'blue-collar' audience.
In diving into this prejudice, I share my own experiences and that of other working-class people. My project intends to show the value of pro-wrestling and the voices of the working class, using some light-hearted outcomes to discuss these multi-layered topics. Calluses is concerned with sparking conversations about how we see things, and essentially doubles as a love letter to 'blue-collar' entertainment.
Working Class Wrestling, poster series, Risograph printed
Working Class Wrestling, Risograph printed poster
POVO!, Letterpress poster book cover
POVO!, Poster book cover and cassette tape
Scrote, Risograph printed comic page
Scrote, Risograph printed comic cover
Scrote, Risograph printed comic page
Scrote, Illustration for Risograph Graphic Novel Scrote
Research
Wood-Block Type Set-Up, Distillers Press