Tennis Trails and Tennis Fashion Icons, Art by Apeksha

Note on “Tennis Trails” (from Apeksha’s website): My collection of 6 AI-generated images of tennis courts explores the unique landscapes and environments in which this sport can be played. From lush greens to rugged deserts, these digitally created scenes push the boundaries of what we traditionally associate with a tennis court.

Trail 1: In the beginning was water.  The AI tennis court below like a tortoise that paddles without seeming to move. A perfect day for tennis, a perfect day to watch the greatest rivalry/friendship in all of sports: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. They played each other a record 80 times on tour. They both have cancer now. I imagine them here in their Ted Tinling dresses as white, as pristine, as the clouds.     

Trail II: We paid 200 pesos extra to see the jungle at the Mayan ruins in Palenque. We walked in the mud, ate termites. We saw hidden cities, the tiniest skulls. In Apeksha’s AI tennis court jungle, sunlight beckons us forward as in those 19^th-century American paintings that beckoned so many westwards towards their Manifest Destiny. (In his book on American Art, Robert Hughes calls Manifest Destiny our great myth of redemptive violence.)_We’ve civilized this jungle, a place for our games. Nets capture animals, balls, spectators. I imagine Serena playing tennis here because I always imagine Serena playing tennis. What would she wear on a court like this one? Her black sneaker knee-high boots, her pink leopard-print dress, her catsuit?

Trail V: Two women approach this carefully cropped court where nature is controlled by man’s desires:  Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills. They once played the match of the century. I overhear Lenglen’s whispers:  “Too tight, too tight.” “Need more room to breathe.” Underneath it all is the worst. Bodices and corsets to hold body parts in, a restrictions of conformity. Lenglen freed us with her looser fitting clothes that revealed more flesh. She endured the controversy, gave us room to breathe. 

Artist Bio (from website): Based in New York, Apeksha Agarwal is a highly skilled photographer with a specialized focus in fashion, beauty, and celebrity photography for both editorial and advertising clients. With an impressive portfolio of work, Agarwal has had the privilege of collaborating with actors, artists, models, and celebrities from all over the world. Her exceptional talent has been recognized by prestigious publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Glamour, Grazia, and L’Officiel, as well as through captivating billboard features across various cities.

Additionally, Agarwal’s role extends beyond photography, as she also serves as a creative director on many of these projects.

Distinguished by her innovative approach to art, Agarwal has immersed herself in the emerging field of Generative AI art, thereby establishing a reputation as a visionary artist within the industry. Her dedication to pushing artistic boundaries has not only gained her recognition but also transformed her into a sought-after speaker. Agarwal has been invited to deliver guest seminars and participate in panel talks at renowned institutions such as the School of Visual Arts, New York Film Academy, B&H, Soho House, and the Federation of Photographic Society of Indonesia, among others. Agarwal’s unrivaled expertise in the realms of photography and Generative AI art has solidified her status as a respected and influential figure within the creative community.