BOX: A New View On The Faces Of Boxing
Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr.? For those reluctant to let go of boxing past, perhaps Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson?
These boxing notables above all can pass as “the face of boxing” in some capacity.
But whoever or whatever comes to mind when you hear the four words, “the face of boxing,” it is unlikely that it mirrors that of Holger Keifel.
The German-born, New York based photographer has managed to capture “the face of boxing” in the literal sense in the form of over three hundred black & white photos bound together by glue and protected by a shiny gold cover.
Keifel’s new book, “BOX: The Face of Boxing,” (PQ Blackwell, $29.95) with text by the esteemed boxing scribe, Thomas Hauser, is currently available online through all major bookstore websites and is due to hit the shelves on Friday, October 1.
With regards to Keifel’s mission, Hauser quotes him as saying, “A lot of fighters start with the traditional pose, putting their fists up. I tell them, ‘No, I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in your face.’”
Once immersed in the first few pages of “BOX”, you too will be interested in the fighter’s faces. Every unnatural bump, accumulation of scar tissue, and crooked nose is revealed by Keifel and his camera lens.
The book jacket of “BOX” showcases two of Keifel’s most powerful images. The front cover features a photo of the side of Evander Holyfield’s face, exposing the remainder of his ear, while the back of the book jacket shows the injured and scarred hand of the lesser-known Tokunbo Olajide. The pictures on the 200 plus pages between Holyfield and Olajide readers an unconventional and fresh look at the sport of boxing.
“BOX” is a must-have for boxing and photography fans alike. “BOX” not only is a work of art, it is also a book that documents an era in boxing history. Over 275 hundred faces of the current boxing scene are represented in Keifel’s first book. Countless boxers, trainers, referees, and promoters were unable to escape Keifel’s lens over the past six-plus years and their photos have combined to create his work of art.
For fistic fans, “BOX” will only help you further appreciate the sacrifices fighter’s make every time they step through the ropes and into the boxing ring. Referee Randy Neumann sums it up best when he is quoted in “BOX” as saying, “Hitting other people is easy. Getting hit in the face is hard. Most athletes believe the won’t get hurt in competition. Boxers know they will.”
Every page in “BOX” is a reminder of that. From the aged, scarred face of Jake Lamotta to the relatively unmarked face of Mayweather, Jr., “BOX” forces fans to reassess what they might have perceived “the face of boxing” to be.
