Artist's Project: Type A

The collaborative team of Adam Ames and Andrew Bordwin, also known as Type A, creates work that explores male bonding and the psychology behind the ways men challenge, compete, and play with and against each other. Investigating the sometimes brutal demands put upon men to be aggressive and always in control, the duo cast themselves in works that parody a variety of male rituals and competitive pursuits, among them dodge ball, the corporate handshake, wrestling, and spitting contests. The deadpan actions of the artist/actors, most often documented in video works and photographs, simultaneously point out the humorous as well as the more serious, even disturbing aspects of male competition.

As artists-in-residence, the duo turned the focus away from themselves and worked with Phillips Academy student athletes to further explore their interest in athleticism, competition, and collaboration. Their residency resulted in two projects, Cheer and Jinx .

With the help of PA spirit teams SLAM and Blue Key Society, Ames and Bordwin examined the dynamics of team spirit by documenting the performance of cheers specifically created for Type A. Transferring the art of cheering from one team (Andover) to another (Type A), Cheer is at once absurdly self-congratulatory and a serious look at the propulsive drive and transcendent power made possible through teamwork. "As a team ourselves, we wanted to show the seriousness of spirit as contrasted with the absurdity of the ego involved in having squads cheer for two artists who are not, in fact, competing in any sport," explained the artists.

Jinx explores the superstitious and ritualistic behavior that often accompanies sports-wearing a lucky headband just so, tucking in only one particular corner of a hockey jersey,