Court Report

James Gurney covers an NBA game

There is a long tradition of sketch artists documenting political rallies, military battles and sporting events. Artists have been reporting as journalists for centuries, going back to the time before photography, when there was no other way to capture images for newspapers and magazines. In the 20th century, painted illustrations started to give way to photography and video. But painters still had a role to play when they could provide a perspective that the lens could not. On TV news programs, artists served wherever cameras were banned, such as in the law courts. Now it’s my turn to file a report from the court, except I’ll be covering the kind of court they make out of maple hardwood. A friend of mine who works in ESPN’S mobile broadcasting unit invites me to paint the action at a Knicks basketball game. I fill a backpack with a watercolor sketchbook, pencils and a few tubes of gouache. I also bring a camera, assuming that I can start some sketches on location and finish them at home from photos. I board the train to New York City and arrive an hour and a half before the start time. At Madison Square Garden, I pick up my media pass and move through security. I knock on the door of the ESPN broadcast truck.