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

This baseball card of Criss, St. Louis, American League, emerged from the American Tobacco Company like a puff of smoke, part of their White Border series. Can you imagine the hand that guided the printing press, laying down the thin layers of color to bring this athlete to life? The palette is soft, almost muted, like a memory fading at the edges. The green field and yellow sky are roughly hewn, and Criss is captured mid-motion. He is in a state of becoming – about to throw, to strike, to act. Look at the ‘STL’ logo on his chest – you can almost smell the leather of the baseball glove, the chalk dust on his hands. This piece reminds me that art, like sports, is a conversation, a back-and-forth between intention and chance. Each print an imperfect echo, a reminder that creativity is a game of trial, error, and endless fascination.