Muscle Memory
video, sound
RT 3’30”
2006
In Muscle Memory, I hit a tennis ball against the four walls of my studio. A camera follows the ball as it bounces against various objects. The roving camera creates a constellation of references about me - books I have read, music I like and athletes I have rooted for since childhood. The tennis player and the artist both engage in solitary activities that require some level of public performance. My intention was to confront the viewer with the solitary space through quick cuts of the player and his inspirations punctuated by the drum-like thumping of the bouncing ball. With this piece, I attempt to blur the distinction between the art studio and the tennis court, which overlap in my own life as my roles as professional tennis player and artist converge.