HEROES COLLECTION
This collection is the second set of Maxwell Pearce’s ‘Art of an Athlete’ Series. The work focuses on the similarities of athletes and superheroes. Athletic positions are identical to the way that our favorite superheroes move their bodies - so many of these pieces are inspired by movements from Miles Morales, Calvin Ellis, Nubia, Vixen, and more. On a deeper level, the athletes have an extremely powerful impact on the lives they touch. This collection looks at how superheroes act for the greater good of the people and how athletes have the power to do the same. These pieces focus on breaking social stigmas, combating racism, and the humanity of athletes.
“Forehand”
Superpowers:
The ability to break the barriers of age and impact in sports
The ability to break the identity of being pigeonholed into one sport
The ability to adopt intangibles from other sports (basketball) and implement them into their own
“Legacy is Timeless”
This piece highlights the power of legacy. Muhammad Ali made an indelible mark on what it means to be an athlete and an activist. His legacy as a boxer has compounded his impact as an activist. This piece addresses the need for a Muhammad Ali statue in his birthplace - Louisville, Kentucky. In 2017, a petition to dismantle a confederate monument in Louisville and replace it with a statue that honors Ali. The legacy we leave is TIMELESS. A legacy of impact and service will ultimately outweigh the legacy of oppression. What is your legacy?
Superpowers:
Creating a legacy that cannot be overshadowed
Dismantling corrupt systems
Getting into “Good Trouble”
“Your friendly, neighborhood activist”
This piece is created entirely out of basketballs. It stands at six feet tall and four feet wide. It is a self portrait of Maxwell and inspired by his favorite superhero (Miles Morales/Spiderman). This piece shows a literal prioritization of the world he lives in. He may have used sports to shape the world around him, but that will never be an excuse to limit his identity to being solely a basketball player. It will never be an excuse to disregard his humanity in exchange for the entertainment from his sport.
Superpowers:
The ability to leverage basketball to elevate the world that that they live in
The ability to control and influence the world they live in
The ability to guard and defend their humanity
“Your Fault, Not Mine”
This piece is made out of tennis balls, volleyballs, and basketballs. It targets a very specific cycle of dialogue that is placed on young Black women who excel in predominantly tennis, but also sports in general. Their ability to combine their excellence in sport with their character is what ultimately makes them invincible. This piece speaks directly to Black women in sports, and provides words of affirmation that may help combat the normal cycle of stigmas that they receive. The tennis racket has two sides: one for combatting stigmas, and the other for playing their sport
Superpowers:
-The ability to use their excellence in sport to provide positive affirmation
-The ability to always land on their feet
-The ability to disrupt the status quo in STYLE
“What is Confidence?”
This piece is created out of soccer balls and basketballs. It is a photo from one of Maxwell’s most important basketball experiences - the ESPN College Slam Dunk Championship. This piece is about the complexities of confidence in any sport. It highlights the idea that confidence can waver, and that athletes have the ability to appear confident in a time of uncertainty by relying on the practice they’ve put in. Under the tinted helmet of this piece, there are clouds that signify Maxwell battling the feeling of being nervous and overly conscious, despite appearing to be amongst the stars on the outside. Relying on muscle memory is what enabled him to drown out the nerves and be great.
Superpowers:
Using muscle memory to fight the feeling of nervousness
The ability to be vulnerable about confidence in sport
Using momentum to create a sense of delusional confidence
“Comfortable in Chaos”
This piece is created out of basketballs, footballs, and tennis balls (No Paint). It is 6.5 feet tall and four feet wide. It is inspired by the superhero ‘Storm’ (Marvel). It highlights Black women in sports and their ability to excel despite the chaos and noise from misogyny and racism.
Superpowers:
The ability to leverage basketball to elevate the world that that they live in
The ability to control and influence the world they live in
The ability to guard and defend their humanity
“To be an Ally”
This piece is made out of basketballs, shoelaces and tennis balls. It challenges fellow athletes to use their platform to call for respect for those that are mistreated. The same way that we fight for issues that affect us is how we should fight for others. This highlights the ability of certain athletes to lead without fear of judgment. We must step up!
“Shatter the Stigma”
Created solely out of basketballs, this piece is about the stigmas that athletes constantly battle against. Athletes constantly prove their ability to change lives with compassion and willingness to give. The current perception of athletes is in dire need of reconfiguration.
Superpowers:
The ability to leverage basketball to elevate the world that that they live in
The ability to control and influence the world they live in
The ability to guard and defend their humanity