Devin Troy Strother’s exhibit “Space Jam” transforms the Marlborough Chelsea gallery into a Technicolor basketball court that will stir your inner 90s kid. Bursting with neon and reflective canvases, Strother’s work pays playful homage to the 1996 Looney Toons film “Space Jam,” as well as art giants such as Jackson Pollack, Lynda Benglis and Joan Miró.

Strother, who lives in Los Angeles, draws inspiration from pop culture and the role of the NBA in American life. Curiously enough, Strother is not a basketball fan, but he admires the geometric formations of the court, the iconography of the Jordan era and holograms of items used in the NBA.

However, the name of his second exhibition at the Marlborough gallery also refers to the mad dash to fill the space with a few short months’ notice — a literal “Space Jam.” Strother was commissioned in September and created the entire show in mere months.

Using glitter, spray paint and thick rainbow palette-knife streaks, Strother adorns large scale pieces to create the basketball aesthetic. The overall effect creates a visually thrilling playhouse and provocative structural displays.

A large wavy cutout basketball player, entitled “Heyyyyyyyy man i’m open i’m open,” meets visitors at the door and welcomes them in. A second gallery room is lined with galaxy carpeting, more likely to appear in a Chuck E. Cheese than an upscale gallery.

In the final chamber, a mock “Space Jam” basketball court holds menacing black rectangular prisms in place of players and boasts a marble and gold-rimmed hoop. The progression through the show alludes to the growing fanaticism of Michael Jordan, from the movie.

Strother purposefully oversteps the discussion of race to focus on the appropriated aesthetics of basketball. While his color palette may sound gaudy, the cohesive exhibition shows how highbrow art can be made fun. Strother’s colorful and thoughtful work gives life to the Marlborough space, proving that his “Space Jam” thoroughly succeeds in engaging gallery-goers.

“Space Jam” is now on view at Marlborough Chelsea, 545 W. 25th St., through Feb. 14.

A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Feb. 4 print edition. Email Cate Wright at [email protected]