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AOPP + JAMES JOYCE
PRESENT

NO LAUGHING MATTER

Art made to be lived with.

James Joyce has been returning to his collapsed clown for more than a decade. First created in 2013, the image has moved through painting, print and large-scale installation, becoming one of the recurring motifs in his work.

For No Laughing Matter, we’ve taken it somewhere new.
Across an ArtTable, ArtNet and ArtBats, James’s artwork moves beyond the wall and into play. A collection of functional art designed to be displayed, handled, played with and lived with.

Almost ten years after James first created a one-off paddle for Art of Ping Pong, No Laughing Matter brings our collaboration full circle.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A TRULY MAGNIFICENT PRODUCT. WHAT A WONDERFUL, CLEVER, AND BEAUTIFUL IDEA AND CREATION THEY ARE.
LIZ
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"IT'S BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS AS EVERYONE WHO COMES TO THE HOUSE PRAISES YOUR AMAZING TABLE. I’VE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE ART OF PING PONG, SO MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A FEW MORE TABLES IN PORTUGAL.
ALEX
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"WE ARE DELIGHTED WITH OUR MINI TABLE AND HAVE HAD SOME EPIC BATTLES ON IT IN THE STUDIO. I WANT TO SAY THAT I AM THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION, BUT THAT WOULD, I AM AFRAID, BE NOTHING SHORT OF AN OUTRAGEOUS LIE!
CERI
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"OH MY GOODNESS, REALLY? I JUST UNBOXED IT, AND IT IS GORGEOUS. NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY PARTNER TO GET HOME AND HAVE A GAME WITH ME
KATE
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH YOUR PING PONG TABLES SINCE FINDING YOUR COLLECTION ON THE SELFRIDGES WEBSITE (THE YELLOW SMILEY FACES TABLE WAS MY FAVOURITE). YOU ARE AMAZING!
JORDAN
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"WE ARE SUPER HAPPY WITH THE TABLE, IT IS EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL IN REAL LIFE THAN IN THE PHOTO
NADINA
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"DO WE PLAY? NO – BUT WE WILL! HOWEVER, WHAT WE DO APPRECIATE IS SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND BUYING SOMETHING THAT IS LOVINGLY CRAFTED, WELL-DESIGNED AND FUN.
MANDY
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"YOUR PRODUCT IS UNIQUE AND OF GREAT QUALITY, AND ITS UNIQUENESS MAKES THE SPEND WORTH IT.
DAVID
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"IT’S ONE OF A KIND. I LOVE THE CONCEPT, DESIGN, AND ETHICS BEHIND THE COMPANY.
LJN
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I LOVE THE IDEA OF A PIECE OF ART THAT IS ALSO A TABLE TENNIS TABLE! AND EVENTUALLY I GOT MY WIFE TO AGREE!
GARY
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"A UNIQUE PRESENT FOR A GUY THAT ALREADY HAS A LOT :-) LOVE YOUR STORY, LOVE THE PRODUCTS AND PLAYING PING PONG ON THE SMALL TABLE REALLY IS A LOT OF FUN!
MIRIAM
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I CAME ACROSS THE ARTTABLE. AND I'M LIKE, ‘OH FUCK, I'VE GOTTA HAVE THAT’. LIKE IT'S TOO NICE NOT TO. AND I WAS LIKE, OH GOD, WHICH ONE DO I CHOOSE?
FI
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"SO BEAUTIFUL. IT'S A PIECE OF ART THAT THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN ENJOY. I LOVE IT!
HEATHER
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"ART OF PING PONG HAS TAKEN THE GAME OF PING PONG TO A NEW LEVEL. LOOK HOW SUPER BEAUTIFUL THIS IS. AND LOOK AT THE PACKAGING, IT'S LIKE I'M UNPACKING AN IPHONE.
HOLLY
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"THANKS SO MUCH FOR KEEPING CHARM, PLAY AND HUMANITY AT THE HEART OF YOUR BUSINESS. IT MAKES ME GLAD TO BE A HUMAN.
HEATHER
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"UNWRAPPING IT WAS TRULY LIKE OPENING A PIECE OF ART CREATED WITH SUCH INTENTION AND CARE.
JO
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

why you'll love it

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

The collapsed clown first appeared alongside its yellow companion at Mark Hix’s Tramshed gallery in 2013. Two years later, the yellow face went on to become part of Banksy’s Dismaland, while the clown took its own path.

James has returned to the image ever since. For No Laughing Matter, it finds a new life across a collection made for art and play.

MADE TO BE LIVED WITH

MADE TO BE LIVED WITH

From the wall-mounted ArtTable and sculptural ArtNet to the ArtBats in your hands, each piece takes James Joyce’s work beyond the wall and into everyday life.

Designed to be displayed, handled and played with, No Laughing Matter gives the artwork another kind of life.

THE ART OF PLAY

THE ART OF PLAY

Through our collaborations with artists and designers, we transform functional sport into collectible art — made to spark creativity, conversation, and joy.

This isn’t just a collection. It’s The Art of Play.

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