Mike Mandel 1975

Mike Mandel created this small black and white photograph, showing himself as a baseball player. It’s like a moment caught mid-action, a snapshot of a process unfolding. The image is all about contrasts, the crisp whites of his pants and shirt against the deep blacks of his sleeves and cap. Look at the way Mandel's hand is frozen in time, fingers splayed as if releasing the ball. It reminds me of brushstrokes, each finger a different line, a different direction. It's a beautiful, unexpected gesture, full of potential energy. This photograph reminds me a little bit of some of John Baldessari's work, that playful approach to image-making, where the everyday becomes something strange and wonderful. Art is just one big conversation across time, you know?