TENNIS PLAYERS AS WORKS OF ART

Linebarger presents an eclectic collection of artworks that highlights the power and grace of tennis.

Over a seven-year period, the author compiled a remarkable assemblage of creative pieces by a wide range of artists—paintings, photographs, and images of sculptures that represented the athletic dynamism of tennis as a sport. Many are representations of famed tennis players doing what they do best, showcasing a blend of power and choreographic precision. As Linebarger writes of Roger Federer: “Tennis not how it’s played, but how we imagine the gods might play it. The serve, the forehand, the one-handed back-hand drive. Grace, beauty, fluidity, perfection.” Each of the dozens of pieces here are accompanied by the author's commentary, and just as often composed in a soaring, lyrical manner. The artistic styles cover a broad spectrum that includes meticulously realistic studies and more impressionistic renditions, such as Scott Kish’s interpretation of Andre Agassi. Cat Lee’s vision of Elena Rybakina is playfully cartoonish, and Mark Shorter’s version of Margaret Court is almost abstract, departing the realm of the obviously figurative. In one of the more humorous paintings, Nial Smith places Andy Murray at the center of a commercial poster for the movie Gladiator (2000).The book also effectively highlights the experiences of such players as Arthur Ashe, who faced racial prejudice, and Billie Jean King, who battled misogyny. One can’t help but wish Linebarger began the collection with a prefatory note of some kind, explaining the nature of the project more thoroughly; instead, readers are left to piece that together on their own. However, this is a minor quibble, as the art itself is vivid and diverse, and the commentaries on each piece are consistently illuminating. Overall, it’s a captivating gathering.

An engrossing set of works of athletic beauty.