Anna Johnson
The last time sporting goods made a dent in contemporary art was when Jeff Koons floated his famous basketballs in a tank of water.
Deconstructing the ball as art object even further, Neil Roberts turns his subject inside out. In his sculptures, the beaten vinyl and torn leather of old footballs open like ripe flowers or Cubist drawings. To create the drawings, tennis balls covered in boot polish were bounced onto the paper, leaving a vibrating stain. Tracing a line between nostalgia and invention Balls shows at Kunst Gallery in Paddington until March 9.