Reaching Fifa pitch
This well-timed exhibition (Euro 2004 is upon us) commemorates Fifa's centenary with 100 photos of the greatest living (retired and playing) custodians of the beautiful game - as chosen by Pele and taken by celebrated photographers such as Helena Christensen and Patrick Lichfield.
Tierney Gearon's penchant for photographing players and their babies humanises celebrity sportspeople who are often lionised as deities, in particular the hulking, rampaging Italian centre-forward Christian Vieri, captured cradling his child after training.
On the other hand, William Klein's shot of Juventus's Pavel Nedved mid-match tells us far less than, say, his off-guard portrait of the Guadaloupe-born, French World Cup winner Lillian Thuram holding a book by African historian Cheikh Anta Diop.
Marc Quinn's larger-than-life series of headshots of players balancing reflective balls on their heads places icons such as Fifa's current world football player of the year Zinedine Zidane, who literally seems to be bearing his nation's footballing hopes on his shoulders, in a more human, everyday context.
Only Thierry Henry (of course) remains beautiful and relaxed under Quinn's harsh gaze, although to compare the washedout and haggard George Best (pictured far right) with the child-like sparkle in the eyes of Pele who's six years his senior) brings a muchneeded sense of reality and perspective to a sport that we know can be as ugly as it can be beautiful.
Until Aug 31, Royal Academy Of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly W1, 10am to 6pm, £8, £6 to £7 concs. Tel: 020 7300 8000. www.royalacademy.org.uk Tube: Piccadilly Circus
