There is a common perception that artists are “bad at sports,” but to Sanford, an artist who’s spent a lot of time both playing and watching sports, the two pursuits have much in common. “I can identify with the hours of practice, in the gym or the studio, where progress is earned through blood, sweat, and tears in pursuit of technical mastery and/or stylistic innovation,” said Sanford. “Inspired by glory and immortality (and possibly money), both painters and ballers labor to refine their 'stroke,’ get 'in the zone,’ find that 'flow state.’ Eventually, both artists and athletes find that often when they finally reach the arena, there are more defeats and humiliations than glorious victories. But sometimes, and usually just for a season or two, some of us get to taste it. Both artists and athletes do things that amaze, we make moves that are physically incomprehensible, inspire awe in our peers, transcend our limitations, and we finally win.”
For this show, Sanford painted the athletes he grew up watching as a New York City fan. To him, professional sports are more than mere entertainment. The competition, the teams, the heroes and villains, the wins and losses--this theater is a universal language through which New Yorkers understand the drama unfolding around us every day in this great city. “These stars stood out to me--but not only because they were champions. In each case, their persona is at least as compelling as their athletic achievement. They acted out the comedy and tragedy that shaped my adolescent understanding of the human drama.”
One of the athletes painted by Sanford is Mike Tyson. “Tyson’s rise from a Brooklyn ghetto to champion was unparalleled,” said Sanford, “but he took on Shakespearian poignancy in his latter chapters, as the boxer struggled with his many demons and a culture that delighted in his disgrace.” Some of the other athletes featured include Patrick Ewing, who to Sanford was duty-bound like Aeneas; Darryl Strawberry, whom he compares to Richard III, and John McEnroe, Apollo. “Ultimately, it is not only the triumphs – which were extraordinary – but also the defeats that make these great players so emblematic of our shared human struggle. That struggle is the heartbeat of the city and unites us in our love of these athletes and as New Yorkers,” said Sanford.