QLD Tennis Centre
Client: Mirvac Construction (QLD)
Artist & Designers: Anton James, Freeman Ryan Design
In January 2009 the new Queensland State Tennis Centre was officially opened by a line-up of tennis greats, past and present, including Pat Cash, Sam Stosur, Ashley Cooper, John Newcombe and Evonne Goolagong Cawley. The centre was developed and built by Mirvac for the Queensland Government, the project provided funds for public art through the former State Government Art Built-in Policy. Mirvac engaged Brecknock Consulting to curate and project manage the design and installation of an interpretive installation by Freeman Ryan Design in the stadium entry and the commissioning of a major iconic sculpture by Sydney-based artist Anton James. His work entitled “Bounce” is based on stop-motion imagery of a tennis ball in play. Rings of steel tubing are bent into an organically morphing form which reflects the distortion of a tennis ball as it hits the court surface. Raised on steel legs, this giant three dimensional line drawing traces dramatic patterns across the Brisbane sky and complements the exposed sculptural structure of the stadium itself.