Philadelphia Phillies c. 1990

Curator: Well, here we have Jack Davis's "Philadelphia Phillies," a drawing dating from around 1990. My first impression is pure energy! The dynamic lines, the exaggerated features... it really leaps off the page. Editor: It does capture movement effectively. For me, this artwork is interesting when we consider Davis’s background in EC Comics—it really tells us about mid-20th-century societal preoccupations with the superhero figure in baseball. I also think this helps to contextualize baseball and, indeed, its players, in a broader social, cultural and even, economic frame. Curator: I agree, there's definitely a comic book aesthetic at play. And, of course, his caricature style pushes this theme further! Look at the way he exaggerates the player's muscles and posture—the composition highlights the physical expectations and perhaps, anxieties, of being an athlete. Editor: Yes! Davis used this same energetic line and exaggeration in many different spaces. He worked, of course, in comic books, film and magazine advertisements. Looking at the dynamism of "Philadelphia Phillies" is also like seeing an early precursor to vector graphics which became really widespread around 2000! The solid colors, clean lines, and very smooth appearance of the figure are really something. Curator: I'm struck by how the red, white, and brown create a clear graphic image, very memorable as we think about marketing campaigns of that time. He's captured a very American energy here, linking baseball to a broader narrative about work and dedication to the nation. Davis highlights baseball not as "just a game," but a site through which we may imagine U.S. strength. Editor: Agreed! Though Davis is, certainly, emphasizing this ideal with humor. The starburst impact emphasizes power but also this humor and sense of camp! Curator: Looking at this makes me rethink popular understandings of American identity itself in the 90s. Editor: And, I have to say, its visual immediacy really gives a sense of pre-digital visual communication, even as we see how it predicts vectors of 2000s' design!