August 8, 2007

Art and Recreation

Responding to the symbolic power of athletes and competitive games, artists such as Paul Pfeiffer, Brian Jungen, and David Hammons use sports imagery to comment on society at large. We survey new work in this genre and highlight Kristin Baker, who creates dynamic paintings inspired by automobile racing. We interview Ed Templeton, a pro skateboarder whose edgy photographs and paintings have defined a new street aesthetic, and our media pick is an anthology of retro British football programs. In our roundup of current exhibitions, we review new drawings from Michael Landy in Sydney and photographs from Nontsikelelo Veleko in Johannesburg.