Howell, St. Louis, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This small card, printed by the American Tobacco Company, shows Howell of St. Louis. What strikes me is the way the image is built up with flat planes of colour, with the white border acting like a frame around the scene. It's like they're thinking through the printing process as they go. I'm interested in the way the grey of his uniform has been achieved, it's not just a flat grey, but a kind of halftone effect made up of tiny strokes, almost like pixels. The texture almost reminds me of those old comic books you used to get, where the colour was printed slightly off register. This is very different to what someone like Fairfield Porter was doing at the time, although I think they share an interest in the everyday. Looking at this, I think about how art is really just a conversation, each artist responding to what's come before, but finding new ways to see the world. There are no right answers.