lars fisk sculpts spherical subway stops, giant asphalt balls + morphed mr. softee trucks

lars fisk presents seven of his signature ball sculptures at marlborough chelsea in new york, dotting the gallery rooms with material-driven, spherical forms ranging from pea-to-room size. made primarily by hand in the artist’s brooklyn studio, the works engage with ordinary elements, from pencil stubs and parking lots, to subway tiles and car parts. the material components of these architectural and urban facets — like steel, glass, ceramic, and asphalt — have been formed into perfect spheres, a transformation that simply and potently re-contextualizes the object as sculpture.

installation view of ‘lot ball’, 2016 | expanded polystyrene, asphalt, paint | diameter: 180 in. (457.2 cm)

the exhibition at marlborough chelsea is titled ‘mr. softee’, in reference to one of the seven sculptures on view — a mutated, mister softee ice cream truck that takes on a playful spherical shape. alongside this sculpture are a trip of ‘stop balls’ clad in colored ceramic tiles, each spelling out a different new york city subway station. a nearby ‘trash can ball’ is made from nickel and plated steel, and emphasize a warped ‘lid’ that wraps around its circumference.

‘lot ball’, 2016 | expanded polystyrene, asphalt, paint | diameter: 180 in. (457.2 cm)

at the heart of the exhibition is the monumental ‘lot ball’ — fisk’s largest sculpture to date, which stands as a single, floor-to-ceiling entity in the biggest room of the gallery. approaching a 1:1-scale distillation of a costco parking lot in queens, the asphalt sphere features painted yellow and white graphic lines, arrows and formal curbing, an embodiment of the continuous interconnection of paved roads.

each of fisk’s sculptures function as a kind of logo for their subject, encapsulating the tangible essence of an object and rendering it as a mascot of materiality.

‘lot ball’, 2016 | expanded polystyrene, asphalt, paint | diameter: 180 in. (457.2 cm)