Art and basketball have an interesting relationship. From Jeff Koons' physics-challenging "Equilibrium" series and David Hammons' Untitled (Basketball Drawing), to the injection of high-fashion interests into NBA style, it's never been easier to see art's cross-pollination with basketball.
The latest artist to be inspired by basketball, Victor Solomon, reinterprets the glass backboard with stained glass artistry, using his brand—aptly titled Literally Balling—to add a layer of luxury to one of the game's most important icons.
Solomon told Complex via email, "The project started as just an evocative image stuck in my mind: the iconic basketball backboard elevated—as it's own culture has been—to a class and luxury status that stained glass has historically been reserved for."
Having apprenticed under master glass-makers, Solomon attempts to work with "an athlete's discipline," recreating glass backboards in the historical "Tiffany Style" of the Art Nouveau movement. Other details include 24k gold-plated hoops, and nets made out of diamonds.
While getting your hands on a piece isn't as easy as ordering from a webshop, you can see Solomon's earlier works in his archive—including a commissioned piece for Grantland. If you're trying to see Literally Balling in person, Solomon has plans to bring some of his work to this upcoming Art Basel in Miami.
If you're lucky enough to get your hands on one of these artworks, just make sure to keep it away from Shaquille O'Neal.
See more over at Literally Balling.
