John Schulze 1975

This is a photograph of a man holding a baseball bat, printed on a small card by Mike Mandel. It's a black and white image, giving it that old-timey, nostalgic feel. Looking at this image, I think about the pose and what it might mean. Is he getting ready to swing, or just clowning around? The image is really all about the contrast between light and shadow, the way the light hits his shoulders and the folds in his sweater. You know? The texture makes me think of a chilly autumn day, and it gives the picture a certain mood. I bet Mike Mandel was drawn to the everyday, the quirky, and the unexpected. Artists do this! They take something we might overlook and turn it into something worth noticing.