Hank Smith 1975

Here is the photo "Hank Smith" by Mike Mandel. It’s a black and white photo of a baseball player, but more than that, it's a portrait of someone and their love of the game. You know, sometimes the simplest images can be the most powerful. There's an honesty and directness, no fancy tricks, just a straight-up capture. I wonder, was this a formal session, or did Mandel just capture Hank in a casual moment? The black and white adds a timeless quality, like a memory fading but still vivid. It reminds me a little of those old-timey baseball cards, but with a bit more heart. And that bat, leaning against it like a trusted friend, you can tell this guy lives and breathes baseball. So many painters work with photographs, appropriating and shifting the image so that it can speak again. It’s a conversation across time, and across practices.