Match Point - 48x48 in.

Match Point came to me in a dream about a year and a half ago. I saw a man, alone on a tennis court with a huge cactus behind him. He spent almost the entire dream staring at an unseen opponent. I couldn’t quite read his expression. Confounded? Upset? Combative?

The piece I ended up painting included his opponent and a taciturn, unimpressed umpire. I love that the ump is enjoying a glass of some big red while these two figure out if they a) have a winner b) are about to brawl over whether it was “in” or “ out” or c) all of the above or none of the above, and they realize that they are in fact in love with each other.

I’m still trying to figure it out, and I think I will be for some time. My other favourites in the show were born to be free, this one will be hard to let go.
 
- Mark Gabriel