Do It for the Boys is the first-ever solo exhibition by Nathan Bolton. In this Gallery 263 Exhibition Proposal Series show, Bolton presents images of the Los Angeles Rebellion, one of the United States’ four original Queer/Inclusive rugby teams, as they return for their twentieth season amid increasingly anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric nationwide. After a dislocated leg caused early retirement from the sport, Bolton—a member of the Rebellion for six years—channeled their energy and experience into documenting these friends and teammates.

In Do It for the Boys, camaraderie is expressed in a series of photographs depicting players on and off the field. At its core, the work in this exhibition is a celebration of the amateur and the Queer—those who apply themselves to their passions and communities without concern for reward. Three times a week, the Rebellion gathers to slam into each other and their opponents—with only cold beer, cheap pizza, and bruises waiting on the other side. Games are played in variable conditions at neighborhood parks, high schools, and even under highway overpasses. Nothing is expected, and nothing is given except competition and, hopefully, friendship.

In their twentieth season and following post-season tournaments, Bolton finds the Rebellion as stalwart, passionate, and determined as ever. With a six-by-seven camera and a tripod—the artist’s hands being occupied by crutches—Bolton captures the energy, community, and, of course, sexuality that defines the team and its members. Together, they huddle in a scrum; together, they go about their business in a crowded changing room; and together, they drink well-deserved beers after a game. The players are strong, stoic, and reliant on each other like the mountains that envelop them, as seen in Apple Valley Panorama, 2022. 

“It’s intoxicating, isn’t it? Being out in public,” Bolton’s teammate Ben said at a bar after a game. Together they created a place where they were their true selves, on and off the pitch. Not just a team but a chosen family—ready to bleed for one another if that’s what it takes.

About the Artist