Trackie McLeod Artist Interview on WAGs and Football Culture

The English World Cup team sets up camp in the German spa town, bringing their wives and girlfriends with them. Victoria Beckham, Colleen Rooney, Cheryl Cole-some stars in their own right, others known purely for being with their famous partners-become the most recognizable women in Britain.

To some, these mostly working-class women who'd rapidly ascended the class ranks were bedazzled trash; to others, like the Glasgow-born artist Trackie McLeod, they were celebrities worthy of worship. Twenty years on, McLeod channels that deification into Money.

Glamour., his new show at OOF Gallery in London's Tottenham. It's a collection of work that captures the era with real reverence, but also a strong sense of humor: everything from a recreation of The Last Supper with WAGS in place of Jesus's disciples (Beckham at the center, of course) to a confessional booth for Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, the famed WAG-atha Christie rivals.

The exhibition heightens the campiness of a game steeped in heteronormativity; a theme that runs through McLeod's playful jabs at the confines of class and masculinity. He talks to us about the world of WAGS he fell into as a 12-year-old, his fascination with "lowbrow" culture, and the footballer's wife he'd most like to be.

DOUGLAS GREENWOOD: What were you doing in 2006? TRACKIE MCLEOD: I was 12 and had just started high school, and was a notorious pain in the arse wearing far too much hair gel (thank you Gareth Gates).

On my first day, I was dressed weirdly like a pub landlord, sporting a Ben Sherman shirt, blue bootcut jeans, and black leather Wallabees. Not much has changed to be honest.

Some gay men idolize pop stars or famous actresses. Why do you think you felt a kinship with these women?

Looking back, WAGs were actually the OG Huns; we just didn't have a word for it back then. I think a lot of them were everyday working-class women with a penchant for fake tan and Ugg boots which made them feel relatable, similar to the girls I hung around with growing up.

I'm also interested in that turning point when people could be famous for being famous. That early 2000s Jade Goody era, when everyday folk were suddenly catapulted into the spotlight for their personalities or who they were dating.