Bob Cumming 1975

This black and white photograph of Bob Cumming was shot by Mike Mandel, and its all about the pitch. Look at that baseball, suspended in air, a perfect sphere of potential energy. And then there's the glove, that dark, enveloping form ready to receive. It's a study in contrasts, light against dark, action against readiness, not unlike painting itself. Think of all the layers and textures involved, from the stitching on the ball to the grain of the leather, translated here into shades of grey. The physical act of throwing, the torque and release, that's the heart of this piece. It’s like a Cy Twombly painting, all gesture and energy. Artists working today are still in conversation with the conceptual artists like Mandel. It's never about fixed meaning, it's about the play.