Barry X Ball: Remaking Sculpture

Pushing the Boundaries of Tradition and Technology

Barry X Ball: Remaking Sculpture presents an extraordinary collection of sculptures that merge cutting-edge technology with classical artistry. Using 3D scanning and CNC milling machines, Ball transforms rare and delicate stones into striking, meticulously crafted works that challenge and redefine traditional sculpture. Over the past 20 years, he has developed two predominant and ongoing series: Portraits and Masterpieces.

Portraits: Evoking Emotion Through Stone

Barry X Ball’s Portraits series brings the human form to life through dramatic, evocative busts. Created from digital scans of himself and his colleagues, these sculptures reveal deep psychological narratives, skin stretches, surfaces glow with translucency, and expressions shift between serenity and anguish.

Each portrait is meticulously crafted from semi-precious stones, including Belgian Black Marble, Golden Honeycomb Calcite, and Mexican and Iranian Onyx. Ball enhances the natural beauty of these materials through hand-carving, creating intricate textures that fuse the digital imprint of the milling process with historical artistic traditions, from the Italian Renaissance's religious iconography to the Greek convention of "floating" busts on rods.

Masterpieces: Reimagining Art History

Ball’s fascination with art history extends into his Masterpieces series, where he reinterprets and transforms iconic classical and modernist sculptures. Collaborating with prestigious collections worldwide, he digitally scans historic sculptures, then carves them into new stone forms using CNC milling. Finally, through meticulous hand-carving and polishing, he introduces new details, materials, and interpretations, breathing fresh life into timeless works.

Ball’s Masterpieces often incorporate elements of his own identity. In one striking example, he replaces the flayed skin of St. Bartholomew with his own face, adding a provocative and deeply personal layer to the original composition.

Works Featured in the Exhibition:

Pietà, after Michelangelo Buonarroti’s Rondanini Pietà

Envy/Purity, after Giusto Le Court’s La Invidia and Antonio Corradini’s La Purità

Doorwoman, after Medardo Rosso’s La Portinaia

Madame X, after Medardo Rosso’s Madame X

A Fusion of Past and Future

Through Barry X Ball: Remaking Sculpture, viewers are invited to experience the intersection of tradition and innovation, where historical masterpieces are transformed for the modern era. With unparalleled craftsmanship and a deep reverence for the past, Ball’s work challenges the boundaries of materiality, time, and perception, offering a bold new vision for contemporary sculpture.