Literally Balling

Stained glass. Historically reserved for the religious, for the opulent, for royalty, here stained glass is juxtaposed to arresting effect. Literally Balling connotes a host of disparate narratives: a religious devotion to sport; the athlete as modern-day king of court; the proletarian drift of basketball from project pick-up games to newfound cultural heights; even a cautionary comment on the fragility of luxury. Apprenticed for a year under veteran glass masters, artist Victor Solomon renders these works with an athlete’s discipline – meticulously cutting, soldering and assembling the backboards with historical accuracy to the traditional Tiffany Style. The result is elegant and playful, an evocative symbol of sport, diligently adorned with the luxurious materials it has grown to deserve.
Literally Balling solo exhibition at Joseph Gross Gallery February 25th, 548 W28th St. NYC