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Nari WardConstructive intent Constructive possession2009
2009
$25,000

About
Ward re-contextualizes found/discarded objects in juxtapositions that create complex and metaphorical meanings that highlight cultural values or offer social critique. He intentionally leaves the meaning of his work open, allowing the viewer to bring their own subject position to the work and provide his/her own interpretation.
In this work, Ward assembles pieces of basketballs and basketball cards in abstract, quilt like formations. Each card is obscured with stenciled black lines, all pointing in various directions, and the marks work to obscure the imagery of each basketball card. Each line is simultaneously at odds and in collusion with each other. Ward incorporates sports references to explore legacies of early restrictions of African American athletes as well as contemporary issues of substance abuse amongst professional teams. Ward is particularly interested in basketball as a cultural phenomenon and often explores the language and associations surrounding the sport. He refers to basketball in his work as point of universality, understood in urban communities throughout America.
Informed by the idea of taunting and trash talking associated with competitive sports, Ward articulates this negative form of communication through the titles of the works. Ward often utilizes black ink or other materials to cover or negate selected imagery or forms in his work. By withholding something, Ward gives power and significance to the idea or element, forcing viewers to imagine what is hidden and re-evaluate preconceived notions they may have. Ward is also interested in the idea of the unseen and inaccessible, and how language and signs can be at once present and visible, yet concealed to those unaware of their meaning.
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About the SellerLocated in New York, NY
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