Luxe Hoops

This print is inspired by David Hammons's “Basketball Hoops Series” he created in the 1980's to address the myth of sport as an attainable, aspirational path to success for black youth.  
 
     In a piece he created in 2000, he abandons his assemblage practice and replaces it with luxe embellishments.  The crystal laced hoop is flanked by 4 opulent candelabra chandeliers mounted on a pearlesent glass backboard that’s draped in strands and iron branches adorned with crystals.  The juxtoposition of sport and luxury speak to the pedestal upon which society places athletics over academics.  The grandeur of this ornate piece supports the concept of basketball sitting at the pinnacle of success.
Looking at this piece I immediately imagine someone dunking on this basket or breaking the metaphorical glass ceiling.  Ironically this piece did crack auction house glass ceilings for black artists when Phillips sold the work in 2013 for over $8 million.  The sale shattered Hammons’ personal record at auction and placed Hammons on ArtNews’ top 10 “Most Expensive Living Artist” list.
     There’s another side to this crystal hoop, a fragility that belies the trappings of success and suggests that the “pinnacle” may not be what it’s cracked up to be.  The candelabras are not candles, instead they are electric bulbs and the crystals are not rare, instead they are made of glass.  Success is temporal and the odds are not in your favor. -Author unkown
 
We created this shirt to pay tribute to Black History Month by highlighting Black artists and diverse forms of cultural expression across the African diaspora.