H. Davis, Philadelphia, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This baseball card of H. Davis from Philadelphia's American League was made by the American Tobacco Company and it's a beautiful example of early commercial printing. Look closely, and you can see how the colors are laid down, almost like a silkscreen, with flat areas of color defining the image. It's such an interesting process, this idea of building up a picture through layers. I love how the different colours interact in the card. The pale blue of the sky meets the green and yellow of the grass, grounding the figure, framing him as he raises his baseball glove to catch the ball. Look at the way the colours are used on his face, to suggest the light and shadow, there is a depth there that feels very modern. The whole card is a dialogue between reality and representation, and like all good paintings, it is unresolved, full of possibility. I'm reminded of Corita Kent, another artist who was interested in the dialogue between art, commerce and the everyday.