Cal Kowal 1975

Editor: Here we have Mike Mandel’s photograph, "Cal Kowal," from 1975. It’s a black and white portrait of a man holding a baseball bat, and it reminds me of a baseball card. What story do you think this piece tells? Curator: I see this work within the context of Conceptual Art practices of the 1970s, where photography was used to question the construction of identity and the role of the image in shaping perceptions. The staged nature of the photo – the "Big Red" t-shirt, the baseball bat – hints at a deliberate attempt to create a specific public persona. Considering it was created in 1975, around the height of the Cincinnati Reds popularity, I wonder, what kind of cultural narrative does this portrait tap into? Editor: So, it's not just a snapshot, but more of a statement about the cultural image of baseball? It seems almost too staged to be authentic. Curator: Precisely! Think about the prevailing social narratives around sports figures at that time. They were often idealized, presented as heroes. How might this image, with its slightly off-kilter presentation, challenge those established narratives and the way mass media presented idols? Editor: I see what you mean. It kind of humanizes the subject by showcasing something relatable, yet hints that persona is built and mediated by mass culture like t-shirts or sports teams, especially when portraiture and photo printing historically conferred celebrity status. Thanks, I see so much more in this piece now! Curator: And hopefully, you can begin to look deeper and contextualize visual clues within cultural discourse when you visit the museum going forward.