SHAQUILLE O'NEAL ADDS ART CURATOR TO HIS LIST OF TALENTS

Shaquille O'Neal, 37, is a big man with big-time talent. He's a basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, a reserve police officer (in Miami), a movie star, a rapper and now an art curator. The all-star center has been overseeing the exhibit "Size DOES Matter," which opened Friday at the Flag Art Foundation in Manhattan. Featuring 52 works by 39 artists, the show will examine the theme of scale in contemporary art. At 7-foot-1, 325 pounds, O'Neal has already made quite an impression on the art world.

How did you choose the art that will be in the exhibit?

I reviewed a variety of images of artworks from all over and selected what grabbed my eye. I gravitated toward the ones that involved a unique approach and a diverse interpretation of sizes. For example, Mark Wagner is making a portrait of me cut out of dollar bills. I loved the way he creates a portrait just by deconstructing the money into smaller pieces and then reassembling them. Another artwork I picked is this incredible big man sculpture by Ron Mueck. I immediately said that we had to have it just because it seemed so unbelievable. It would even make me look small!

Did you also choose how the art would be arranged?

I will participate in the layout process as much as possible. I am in the middle of the NBA season right now so, as you can imagine, I have an important responsibility to my team. However, through the magic of technology, I will virtually be able to explore different placement possibilities. My objective is to make the art look good and to also play with the viewer's perception. I will consider not only how the artwork looks by itself but also how it relates to the others
in the show.

Did you do any research or were your decisions just based on a visceral reaction to the art?

I wasn't overly familiar with the names of all of the artists beforehand so initially my decisions were based on my visceral reaction. During the selection process, I learned about each artist's body of work and a bit about their life, which provided a better context and helped me connect to them.

Do you like small art, too, or is bigger always better?

The point of the show is to explore the range of scale, but I appreciate any type of art as long as the quality is there. It's similar to basketball - size can give me a definite physical advantage, but skill is also an integral ingredient to success.

When was the last time you painted a picture or drew something?

I have painted and drawn with my children before. As for considering myself an artist, while I think I am capable and can be great at whatever I put my mind to, I should probably stick to my day job!

"Size DOES Matter" at the Flag Art Foundation (545 W. 25 St.; 212-206-0220, FlagArtFoundation.org) runs through May 27. Exhibition hours are Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free