An ordinary white golf ball doesn’t appear all that interesting from the outside, but you might be surprised to find a whole spectrum of colors and patterns on the inside. Photographer James Friedman‘s abstract series, Interior Design, reveals the unexpected interiors of these chipped and sliced spheres.
Friedman doesn’t play golf, but it was at a golf equipment trade show where he first saw a bisected golf ball. He recalls, “For the first time, abstraction resonated with me as I discovered elegant formal qualities and surprising metaphorical possibilities in the unlikeliest of places, a 1.68″ golf ball.” The talented photographer began to explore the interiors of other balls and soon discovered the variety of textures and hues they hold inside.
While some golf balls have been sliced in perfect halves, others have been roughly chipped and carved until their cores are revealed. From layers of colorful rubber and patterned resin to gleaming metal, Friedman’s close-ups make ordinary golf balls look like otherworldly planets. “For some viewers, my photographs from this series, titled Interior Design, allude to celestial bodies and the sublime,” he says. “For me, their serendipitous structural exquisiteness and their subtle and passionate arrays of colors have inspired new exploration in my photography.”
You can see more from Friedman’s portfolio on his website.
Photographer James Friedman's abstract series, Interior Design, reveals the unexpected interiors of ordinary golf balls.
Each bisected sphere showcases the variety of textures, pattern, and color they hold inside.
The close-ups make ordinary golf balls look like otherworldly, planet-like forms.
