Barry X Ball
Pasadena, California 1955
Photo courtesy Barry X Ball Studio
When I got to know Barry X Ball he was creating small but precious objects covered in gold, placed on an equally rare material and all finished with great care. In the 'nineties he developed a different kind of work, making larger objects using a special extremely hard plastic. In these works a part of the composition consists of a special crystal container fullfilled with pure pigment. In this way the color has greater importance than when used in painting canvas. Even the packaging of these works is made by the artist.
Barry X Ball, Panel 4 (BXB 82-05), 1982. Wood, wax, gesso, bole, 23K gold, 30,5 x 30,5 cm. Panza Collection, Mendrisio. Photo Alessandro Zambianchi, Milano
Barry X Ball, Sacra Conversazione (BXB 91-04), 1990-1991. Composite construction, 24K gold, 15,2 x 130,8 x 5,4 cm. FAI Fondo Ambiente Italiano, Collezione Panza, Gift, 2022. Photo Alessandro Zambianchi, Milano
Barry X Ball, Elective Mutism (BXB 93-04), 1993. Composite construction, palladium, 18K gold (75% gold 15% palladium 10% silver), permanent red pigment (PR7), 83,8 x 37,5 x 18,4 cm. Panza Collection, Mendrisio. Photo Alessandro Zambianchi, Milano
Installation Omaggio a Giuseppe Panza di Biumo, Museo d'Arte, Lugano, July 2 - September 26, 2010. Works by Barry X Ball. Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Collezione Cantone Ticino, Donazione Panza di Biumo, 1994. Photo Alessandro Zambianchi, Milano
Rosa Giovanna Magnifico Panza di Biumo and PanzaCollection would like to thank the artist, the family and the institutions for granting image publishing.