PIERS SECUNDA (b. 1976)

 

Painting of a Chinese Puzzle Ball, 2011-2015

 

Industrial floor paint, diam. 8 cm

 

Edition of ten and two artist’s proofs

 

Note:

Chinese Puzzle Balls perhaps date back as far as the 5th millennium BC and were originally made to exercise ones carving skills; later they were carved in commercial quantities as trade objects. Concentric spheres within spheres carved out of ivory started to appear in Europe in the 18th century. By the 19th century, Puzzle Balls had evolved into trade objects of wonderment and the skills of the carvers reached a peak in the mid 19th century.

 

Piers Secunda has been making objects out of commercial floor paint for 25 years, rejecting the limitations of “painting” imposed by the canvas. In the tradition of his studio practice the present Puzzle Ball is made of commercial floor paint; hence the title “Painting of a Chinese Puzzle Ball”. After studying Puzzle Balls in Shanghai in 2009 and enthusiastic to raise his skill level, Piers started work on an edition of ten with two artist’s proofs. It took him two years to produce the first ball with success.

The Puzzle ball offered here is the second artist’s proof, the edition of ten being sold out a few years ago. The present example is formed of fourteen free moving spheres within spheres and is adorned with writhing dragons. Exhibited: Art Basel Hong Kong, 2012, Dominique Lavy Gallery “Piers Secunda: A Retroperspective”, UpDown Gallery. Ramsgate 2013 “Context Art New York”, Thomas Jaeckel Gallery, 2016 “In Residence”, Griffin Gallery, London, 2017 “IncarnationI”, W.Ming Gallery, New York, 2018