At Wimbledon, not all art is on the field
Sitting at court at Wimbledon, the sculptor Mark Riet found inspiration while watching players serve. The strength, speed and beauty enchanted him. Commissioned by the All England Club to create a sculpture that combined tennis with its signature metal trees, Reed envisioned a piece that presented a serving player in the form of a human and a tree.
This year, as fans enter the tournament grounds through Gate 1, they will be greeted by “The Serving Ace Meeting Tree”. The nearly 10-foot-tall bronze statue features a tree trunk and branches curved to represent a midgame player. A canopy of stainless steel leaves shades the sofa below.
The statue is the latest addition to the Wimbledon landscape and to the collection of artwork produced by the Championships Artist Program.
“It was very emotional to see him fall into place at Wimbledon, that landing point,” Reed said. “It was like ‘Wow, it’s whole, it’s safe, it’s in position and it looks good.’ ”
In 2002, following the refurbishment of the clubhouse, the All England Club recognized a need for more artwork and commissioned pieces depicting its rich history. In 2006, these assignments evolved into the artists’ programme.
For nearly two decades, a club committee has invited artists who work in a variety of mediums, including sculpture, painting, glass blowing, engraving, paper quilling, illustration and poetry, to create pieces that epitomize Wimbledon.
Some artists are known to have several prestigious commissions on their resumes, including work for the royal family. Others gain more visibility through the program. All are based in Great Britain, although it is not a requirement, and all have worked with club leaders on themes and affiliation with tournament traditions.
“The Serving Ace Meeting Tree” reflects a post-pandemic change in the program. Instead of annual commissions, the club is now focusing on fewer, larger pieces that can take years to complete. Reed said designing, casting and assembling the tree required nearly 6,000 hours of work.
The artists are honored to have been selected for Wimbledon commissions and aim to create pieces that provide an original take on the event steeped in tradition and create a bond with club members and visitors. That often results in a mix of emotions, usually excitement and fear.
“People are so passionate about Wimbledon that everyone has an opinion about what you’ve done; that is quite a challenge,’ he says Eileen Hoganwho created oil paintings in 2009 which are displayed in the members area.
Working at Wimbledon helped prepare Hogan for her most recent assignment: the coronation service of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Hogan was the first wife to get that order.
Artists commissioned by the All England Club tour the grounds and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum before the tournament begins and return to watch matches. They walk around with sketchbooks and cameras and find inspiration almost everywhere: clubhouse decor, championship trophies, flower beds, archived photos, on-field action, clubhouse private areas, and conversations with members, caterers, ball boys and girls.
“We try to show the artists our heritage and give them as much access as possible,” says Sarah Frandsen, who as program coordinator supports the projects from concept to installation. “We want them to be really enthusiastic about the committee. We never want to be too prescriptive.”
Jeremy Houghton, a painter, attended games in 2017 and called the commission a “dream ticket.” He painted watercolors of Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and other top players. He also captured youth matches, wheelchair tennis and club personnel.
“You have your rock stars on the field, but there are heaps of people behind the scenes who keep things going,” he said. “I wanted to show both sides of that.”
The glassblower Katherine Huskie vividly remembers the tour she took with the engraver Nancy Sutcliffe in 2018. “What really caught our eye was all the details on the wallpaper, the curtains, the carpet,” said Huskie. “It looks like little cartridges, then you get closer and realize they’re tennis rackets.” That influenced how Huskie and Sutcliffe approached their assignment.
With a nod to the plate-shaped ladies’ trophy, they created two large glass discs. A ribbon of gold leaf wraps around one disc, representing the seams of a tennis ball. The ribbon features engravings by Sutcliffe. From a distance the carvings look like an abstract pattern, but up close they are an intricate arrangement of players in a midstroke.
Yulia Brodskaya, who specializes in paper quilling, built a three-dimensional aerial map of the Wimbledon ground in 2015. The colorful piece consists of more than 1,000 paper strips that have been rolled, curled, folded and twisted into easily recognizable images, including flowers in the grounds and Serena Williams with the Women’s Trophy.
“The whole experience was a visual representation of people who are proud of 140 years of heritage and deeply involved in all aspects of the tournament,” said Brodskaya.
As the program’s first and only poet, Matt Harvey enjoyed a different kind of Wimbledon experience. In 2010, he posted a poem online every day and read verses to fans waiting in line.
“I thought I was imposing poetry on people, but they really enjoyed it,” he said. “People wanted to be part of Wimbledon. I helped them be more part of it because they had an interaction with the poet that was one of the odd little features. It was something festive, about the game, about the language.”
After completing their assignments, the performers are invited to the royal box, where they can celebrate their achievement and socialize with VIPs. It’s a highlight of the program, but the most meaningful aspect remains the creation of art that will become part of Wimbledon.
When Huskie and Sutcliffe watch broadcasts of the championship games, they are reminded. Their glass disc with the gold ribbon stands prominently above the steps leading to Center Court. As the finalists make their way down the stairs, Huskie and Sutcliffe are able to catch a glimpse of their work.
“The whole project was astonishing in scale,” Sutcliffe said. “We tried to make something worthy of the space.”