Len Gittleman 1975

This black and white photograph, “Len Gittleman”, was made by Mike Mandel, likely sometime in the 70s. What strikes me is its almost forensic approach, like something from a police file – yet it’s also got this tenderness, a human quality, like a snapshot from a family album. Look at the way the light catches the quilted texture of his vest, each ridge and furrow meticulously rendered. You can almost feel the weight of the leather glove in his hand and imagine the smell of old leather and sweat. Consider how the artist's handling of light and shadow shapes our emotional response to the image. The baseball player’s gaze is turned slightly upwards and away from the camera, and perhaps that’s what I find so compelling. It reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with similar deadpan precision, elevating the mundane to the level of art. But ultimately, it’s the image’s vulnerability which stays with me. It’s a testament to the power of art to find beauty in the everyday.