168

Willie Birch

(1942-)

No More Games.

Painted papier-mâché, wood, glass and bullet casings, on a wooden base, 1990-95.
Signed and dated in paint, lower right.
53 x 30 x 32 in. (134.6 x 76.2 x 81.3 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans.
    Private collection, California (1997).

  • Exhibited:
    Willie Birch: From Bertrandville to Brooklyn, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC, 1995; Spoleto Festival, Charleston, SC; Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC, 1996 (traveling exhibition).

  • Literature:
    Margolis, Nancy H., ed. Willie Birch: Artist and the Community, WILLIE BIRCH: From Bertrandville to Brooklyn, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC, 1995.

    This powerful life-size sculpture by the multi-media New Orleans artist Willie Birch is a significant, mid-career work. Birch first began using papier-mâché in the mid-80s and started a series of figurative sculptures that explored Birch's interests in the intersections of fine and folk art, and African and African American culture. In No More Games, Birch presents a number of powerful ideas regarding African American culture and survival.

    In a statement from the Arthur Roger Gallery, the artist recalled how the artwork was directly inspired by a same-titled work by Benny Andrews seen in the Museum of Modern Art. The statement also discusses the symbolism of the figure and the collapsed basketball:

    " No More Games serves as a dual metaphor in the piece by Willie. It is at once a statement about Black manhood and the reality that at some point African American youths will have to grow up and face the real world without their basketballs and other street games. This is alluded to in the piece with the depiction of a deflated basketball in the hands of the paper mâché youth. It also stands as a statement to America that African Americans will tolerate "no more games" in the political and social arena and its time they are taken seriously and dealt with as people."

    These sculptures are in many institutional collections today, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Art, San Jose Museum of Art and the Speed Museum of Art.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

October 7, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000