Acrylic on canvas with companion work on wood panel
Painting: 72"H × 60"W
Companion panel: 8"H × 8"W
Signed Bowler Lane Collective
Created for the 2019 exhibition Lil Big
Gallery Value:Sold
Auction Estimate:Sold Prior to Auction
Description
Part satire, part pop culture, and part social commentary, Preppy Balls perfectly captured the irreverent spirit of Bowler Lane Collective.
Michael and I acquired this work from one of the wonderfully eccentric artists I collaborated with while directing Bowler Lane, an experimental exhibition space where artists were encouraged to push beyond convention and create work that was unexpected, humorous, and unapologetically bold.
Created for the 2019 group exhibition Lil Big, the painting transforms an alligator, a symbol of classic prep culture, into something playful and subversive. Beach balls float through impossibly blue water while the oversized hand-painted typography reads "Watch Your Preppy Balls," turning familiar iconography into a piece that feels equal parts street art, contemporary pop, and inside joke.
Included with the painting is the original companion wood panel, inscribed:
"Watch Your Preppy Balls. Appreciate in Value."
Together, the two works document a unique moment in Bowler Lane's history and reflect the experimental energy that defined the space.
