Maxwell Pearce’s artwork appears to leap off the canvas as he illustrates the intersection between sports and art.
In his latest work appearing at the Knowhere Gallery in Oak Bluffs, basketballs and shoe-strings are cut-up, woven and stapled to a blank canvas to create skylines, buildings and the intricate musculature of people hard at play.
Two pieces pay homage to the New York Knicks’ victory over the San Antonio Spurs during this year’s NBA finals. In one piece, the Statue of Liberty stands dressed in a Knicks Jersey, hoisting the NBA championship trophy over New York City. The other displays the moment when Ogugua “OG” Anunoby Jr. tipped in the game winning point.
“I love the factors that art has, in that it has a similar aspect [to sports] of bringing people together,” said Mr. Pearce at an opening reception for the exhibition.
In addition to being a successful mixed media artist, Mr. Pearce is a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, the world famous basketball team known for combining wild theatrics with comedy and athleticism. Mr. Pearce will soon begin his ninth season with the team.
“The Globetrotters in itself is one of the most unique jobs that I have ever heard of, witnessed or experienced,” said Mr. Pearce. “It truly is a one-of-one job because of its reach beyond the court. The more that I got into this job, the more I realized there are a lot of qualities that sports have that are very similar to that kind of reach that being a Globetrotter has.”
Mr. Pearce grew up playing many sports, but after his parents gave him a basketball he discovered a profound sense of purpose. Not only did the game provide him with opportunities to meet people and travel the world, it also gave him an avenue to express himself creatively. Eventually, Mr. Pearce was able to combine his two passions — art and basketball — to create timeless messages.
“I really wanted to take a moment to shine a light on other professional athletes who were using their platform to battle against injustices of all different kinds, and that started with knowing and learning my history,” said Mr. Pearce.
The inspiration to use materials gathered from sports equipment in his art began after Mr. Pearce experienced an act of racism while appearing on a morning TV show in Birmingham, Ala.
“These two white news anchors started throwing fruit at me randomly on this live segment,” said Mr. Pearce, who tried to reconcile the situation behind the scenes. Eventually, he decided to post a video on the internet as a way to shed light on the experience and make it a teachable moment.
“I got death threats for like two months, and a bunch of people telling me to shut up and dribble,” said Mr. Pearce. “And the shut up and dribble part is what stung more than any other comment, because it was very nostalgic of the stigmas that are placed on Black athletes that I’ve witnessed growing up my entire life.”
“At that point, I was like, okay, I’m gonna show everybody that this Black athlete has much more to offer than putting the ball in the basket,” he continued. “So every time you look at my work, whether it’s about sports or not, you’re going to know that we’re not just people who shoot a basketball for sports.”
Mr. Pearce said his work is also inspired by Black athletes of the past, such as Althea Gibson, Wilma Rudolph and Bill Russell.
“Those were, in my opinion, the athletes who sacrificed the most and also got compensated the least,” said Mr. Pearce.
In addition to the deeper messages, his art is also rooted around the process of play, something that Mr. Pearce said people often forget when they grow up.
“Being playful is something that society tends to condition us to reserve for the youth,” said Mr. Pearce. “In reality, it’s something that we need to keep throughout the entirety of our lives.”
Valerie Francis and Ralph Groce, the owners of Knowhere Gallery, said they decided to showcase Mr. Pearce’s work as part of their ongoing series titled Fault Lines. The gallery will continue showcasing work by artists who depict the visible and hidden pressures that exist within communities, history, relationships and people.
“In creating this space our mission actually is how do we change the world through art and we’re doing that in a variety of ways,” said Ms. Francis. “We’re not just hanging artwork in this space. This space has work that is telling a story, and that story is called Fault Lines.”
Knowhere Art Gallery is located on 91 Dukes County Avenue in Oak Bluffs. The Fault Lines exhibit will be on display at Knowhere Art Gallery until Sept. 13.