Anne Noggle 1975

Editor: Here we have Mike Mandel's 1975 print photography, "Anne Noggle." It's a striking portrait; she's dressed as a baseball player, but there's something very direct and a little bit confrontational about her gaze. What stands out to you about it? Curator: What strikes me is the tension between the playful iconography of the baseball uniform, suggesting youth and vitality, and the face itself, which is mature and unwavering. This is Anne Noggle, after all, herself an artist exploring similar themes. Consider the symbolism of baseball, often associated with Americana, tradition, and idealized notions of strength. Editor: Yes, there is almost an unsettling defiance within a playful appearance! Curator: Precisely! Mandel captures Noggle subverting expectations. Look at the choice of a baseball card format. What does that imply? Editor: That's interesting! I see what you mean about the format. Maybe a statement about the kinds of people we choose to elevate, or how we commodify even the most personal things like identity? Curator: Good. We're used to seeing athletes in that space, physical prowess celebrated. Here, it's an aging female artist, taking up the same symbolic space but infusing it with something far more complex: experience, perhaps a little weariness. Do you see any symbolic gesture from Anne's body language or expression? Editor: The determined stance, the grip on the bat. She's not just playing a game, she's making a point. Curator: Exactly. And I'd say that Noggle’s own interest in aging plays in tension and complement here. It is both self-aware and defiant. What a potent combination. It allows this photo to speak to something timeless, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely! It definitely gave me something to consider today, regarding symbolism and cultural expectations! Curator: Yes, a very provocative picture which has multiple readings as we analyze the symbolic gestures within it.