group of five baseball bats and rack for display: a: baseball bat, curved and flat at wide end; burned logo with title and artist's name; "Super!" and "CURVED!" also burned into bat; b: baseball bat, off-centered near center (as if 2 segments were rejoined crooked); end of handle off center; burned logo with title and artist's name; "OVER TEMPERED" and "SEMI-PROFESSIONAL" also burned into bat; c: baseball bat with handle at each end, meeting off-center at middle; d: baseball bat with 2 flattened areas opposite 2 rounded areas at widest point; burned logo with title and artist's name; "ODDLY TEMPERED" and "HARDLY PROFESSIONAL" also burned into bat; e: baseball bat with central inverted section (small end and large end reversed) and 2 disjointed areas; burned logo with title and artist's name; "OVER TEMPERED" and "UN-PROFESSIONAL" burned into bat; f: asymmetrical rack for displaying bats; angled edges

%C2%A9 Mark Sfirri

Rejects from the Bat Factory, 1993

expand_more

Ash, mahoganyexpand_more

Gift of Various Donors, by exchangeexpand_more  2002.63a-f

Not on Viewexpand_more

Mark Sfirri first began turning wood in the 1970s while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design under seminal wood artist Tage Frid. Around 1976 he began creatively using the "multiple-axis" technique, which he employed to make these humorous bats. This entails repeatedly repositioning a piece of wood on the lathe at different angles during the turning process.

The cubist rack is meant to conjure up the work of seminal studio furniture maker and sculptor Wharton Esherick (1887-1970), as are the ash bats, which reference Esherick's use of ash axe handles in the production of a series of stools. Ash is also the principal material used in making baseball bats.

file_downloadprintshare
arrow_back home
Details
Title
Rejects from the Bat Factory
Artist Life
born 1952
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2002.63a-f
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

group of five baseball bats and rack for display: a: baseball bat, curved and flat at wide end; burned logo with title and artist's name; "Super!" and "CURVED!" also burned into bat; b: baseball bat, off-centered near center (as if 2 segments were rejoined crooked); end of handle off center; burned logo with title and artist's name; "OVER TEMPERED" and "SEMI-PROFESSIONAL" also burned into bat; c: baseball bat with handle at each end, meeting off-center at middle; d: baseball bat with 2 flattened areas opposite 2 rounded areas at widest point; burned logo with title and artist's name; "ODDLY TEMPERED" and "HARDLY PROFESSIONAL" also burned into bat; e: baseball bat with central inverted section (small end and large end reversed) and 2 disjointed areas; burned logo with title and artist's name; "OVER TEMPERED" and "UN-PROFESSIONAL" burned into bat; f: asymmetrical rack for displaying bats; angled edges

© Mark Sfirri

Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork.