The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Untitled (Basketball Drawing)

Untitled (Basketball Drawing)

2002
(American, b. 1943)
America, 21st century
charcoal on paper with water bottle
Overall: 152.4 x 86.4 x 15.2 cm (60 x 34 x 6 in.)
Gift of Agnes Gund in honor of LeBron James 2015.65
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The gradations of the work were made by the artist repeatedly bouncing a basketball coated in charcoal on the surface of the paper.

Description

Considered one of the most influential and enigmatic artists of the past 50 years, David Hammons consistently challenges social conventions. In this work, he made an abstract composition by bouncing a charcoal-covered basketball onto a sheet of white paper. The resulting drawing calls to mind the role professional sports such as basketball can play within contemporary culture, often seen as an aspirational road to fame and fortune that few achieve. This idea echoes the way the drawing was made; chance plays a prominent role in the outcome of the composition. The addition of an empty water bottle behind the frame gives the drawing sculptural dimension. This object, which normally would have been discarded after use, is elevated to the status of fine art as it props up the drawing.
  • 2002-?
    Collection of the artist
    2015
    (Salon 94, NY, 2015, sold to Agnes Gund)
    2015
    Agnes Gund, New York, NY, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2015–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Hammons, David. David Hammons: Rousing the Rubble. New York: Institute for Contemporary Art, 1991. ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
    Hammons, David, Connie Rogers Tilton, and Lindsay Charlwood. L.A. Object & David Hammons Body Prints. New York: Tilton Gallery, 2011. ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
    Zuckerman, Heidi, Klaus Ottmann, Philippe Vergne, Franklin Sirmans, Yves Klein, and David Hammons. David Hammons, Yves Klein. First ed. Aspen, CO, 2014. ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art. Museum Masters: 2016-17 Companion Guide. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2016. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 76-77
  • {{cite web|title=Untitled (Basketball Drawing)|url=false|author=David Hammons|year=2002|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2015.65