ART:

Jammie Holmes is making his New York solo debut in a new exhibition titled What We Talking About at Marianne Boesky Gallery.

Entirely self-taught, the Dallas-based artist didn’t even go to a museum until he was in his 30s. Nonetheless, Holmes has developed into a promising artist to watch for his intimate compositions that recount his experiences growing up in the Deep South — from playing dice in the park and gatherings around the kitchen table, to more turbulent scenes, such as racial confrontations and encounters with the police. 

In each, Holmes utilizes art historical techniques like Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro and Holbein’s famous memento mori, but at the same time, raises the unsettling question: “How to engage with the traditions of Old Master painting when the word Master is so violently charged in the history of American racism?”

What We Talking About will go on view at Marianne Boesky Gallery from September 8 to October 8.Mikey Yates is a Filipino-American artist who creates intimate snapshots of his life and love for sports. He recently worked with Artsy on a new archival pigment print that references an earlier painting he created back in 2018.

Hoop Dreams (2022) depicts a younger version of Yates as he lays on his bed shooting the basketball back and forth to himself. In the background, you can find various nostalgic images of the now defunct Seattle Supersonics, such as Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. With the light beaming into the room, the orange basketball can be seen as an orbiting sun — “radiating light and energy, making life possible,” said writer Sean Beauford.

“I lived in Seattle for a few years, then I moved back in 8th and 9th grade, right before [the Seattle Supersonics] went to Oklahoma City,” Yates recalled in an interview. “Moving, especially living somewhere like Germany, everybody is from a different military base in the United States. So, you kind of hold on to those things about your state or your place.…It was a way for me to connect to the U.S. while away,” he added.

Hoop Dreams (2022) is an archival pigment print with spot varnishes and screen-printed layers on Satin Somerset Tub Size 410gsm paper. As an edition of 50, plus five artist proofs, the print is available to purchase via Artsy for £1,250 GBP / $1,521 USD.

Although it’s the start of August, it’s always basketball season for Victor Solomon. Most recently in the past, the Boston-born, Los Angeles-based artist worked closely with the NBA to unveil a suite of new trophies, including the new Kobe Bryant Trophyawarded to the All-Star Game MVP, along with the new-look Larry O’Brien. 

Solomon returns to the world of sculptures in a new set of limited-edition pieces, titled Sunflower Vessel. Releasing in both a ‘Half’ and ‘Full’ iteration, each sculpture is reminiscent of his past Vessel series — such as Fragment — with this latest entry being filled with synthetic sunflower embedment.

“The basketball is a vessel – a vessel for competition, a vessel for community, a vessel for creativity,” said the artist in a statement. 

Sunflower Vessel sizes in at 200mm for the ‘Full’ size and 100mm for the ‘Half’iteration. As an edition of 100, each crystal basketball is hand painted with gold enamel and available to purchase via Literally Balling.