Pool Player

Concept & Vision

Pool Player emerged from observations of the particular stillness that descends on a pool player at the critical moment—the world narrows to the angle of the cue, the position of the balls, the geometry of possibility.

The artwork translates this moment of suspension into light, where the figure is suggested through negative space and the pool table glows with an inner luminescence. The composition freezes time itself, making visible the invisible moment of decision.

Technical Approach

The piece uses a combination of traditional glass tubes and optical fiber elements to create depth and luminosity variation. The pool table is rendered in cool blues, while the figure is constructed from warmer tones that suggest the living presence behind the stillness.

The technical challenge was creating the illusion of the figure through suggestion rather than representation. The final piece uses only 34 tubes to create the entire composition, relying on strategic placement and color temperature to do the work of form.

Specifications

Exhibition History

Pool Player was commissioned directly by a private collector in Chicago who had seen the artist's work at First Night Binghamton. The piece was created specifically for the collector's game room, designed to complement an existing pool table.

It was later featured in a group exhibition titled "Luminous Figures" at the Chicago Cultural Center, where it was paired with photography and video work exploring similar themes of suspension and anticipation.

Viewer Experience

Viewers often report feeling the tension of the piece—the held breath, the focused attention. The work asks you to lean in, to study the angles, to feel the weight of the shot you're not quite seeing happen.

The piece works particularly well in spaces where people gather for conversation, as it introduces a note of contemplative pause into social dynamics. It has become known as a "thinking piece" that invites dialogue about attention and presence.