Ed Sievers 1975

Curator: Look at the posture of this man, you feel immediately that he's someone to reckon with. Editor: Yes, the photographer Mike Mandel shot this portrait of "Ed Sievers" in 1975. It's a print photograph. The black and white, that intense sunlight… it's stripped down, direct. Curator: It feels almost aggressively average, doesn't it? A very particular brand of 70s everyday. The flannel, the hat… there's an honesty there, a working-class reality, but also an absurdity to his posture, with that mitt held up so confidently. Editor: There's a lot to unpack there. While the photo projects an everyman, almost cliché-esque aura, this pose challenges that immediately. It defies the casual stereotype of working-class identities; Sievers actively subverts a static portrayal. It highlights the ways in which masculinity is performative, particularly within the sports context, even as it highlights a white version of masculinity. Curator: It’s interesting you use the word performative, there’s an implied action of an unseen ball or presence – that makes it come alive and it creates that dialogue beyond what we're seeing at face value. Do you think he knows the photographer? There is something candid. Editor: That’s a keen observation. This photograph serves as an invitation to reframe our expectations and biases; as if, by putting that glove in the air, he has something to prove. Sievers doesn't just embody a person—he commands attention, which is an important comment on working-class narratives. Curator: Well said. This ordinary man is now firmly lodged in my extraordinary bank of memories! Editor: Right? Everyday lives are powerful.