Kleinow, New York, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This baseball card of Kleinow of the New York American League, part of the White Border series, was made for the American Tobacco Company, and well, you can imagine what it was used for. It's so odd, this image. The textures and surfaces are almost sculptural. Look at the way the different color inks overlay one another to create Kleinow’s woolen sweater: you can see how the artist has worked to create the visual effect of its knitted texture, through hatching and cross-hatching with grey and white ink. You can almost feel the warmth of the wool! It’s interesting to think about the tradition of baseball cards and who really made this image. It reminds me of Ed Ruscha, who embraced vernacular imagery in his paintings. The process of commercial art-making isn’t always celebrated, but it’s a conversation. And Kleinow, with his serious face and poised bat, is part of that story.