Adrian Lee

Puppetmaster, 2014:

This performance by Adrian Lee deconstructs the actions of the football manager as he watches from the sidelines as his team play out his instructions on the pitch. Up to this point he has had complete control; what formation, who plays and in what position, has all been decided by him but now he lives or dies by their actions. Still calling the play from the bench he is part puppet master, running the game remotely, adjusting plays and making substitutions, part helpless spectator. The final outcome will be decided by the 22 men on the pitch and he, like us, can only watch and hope. Again and again the picture cuts to him as the action on the pitch slows, and we can witness both his professional side, as he continues to appraise the action and make decisions accordingly, but also his joy and pain as the team he has invested so much in attempts to carry out his instructions.

Photo by Atef Berredjem