Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Illustration c. 1990

Curator: This caricature of a Nebraska Cornhuskers football player by Jack Davis from around 1990 definitely has…presence. It’s exuberantly over-the-top. Editor: Indeed! The energy radiating off this character is palpable. Those oversized hands, that tongue lolling out—it feels like pure, unadulterated celebratory chaos. I am intrigued by the green leafy streamers or garlands emanating out. Do you know anything more about this playful line drawing? Curator: Davis, as you know, was a master of caricature. This image highlights the symbolic role sports play in the state identity and collective consciousness. It distills pride in the Nebraska team, doesn’t it, exaggerating physical prowess into almost mythical strength and drive. What is he the god of? Midwestern linebackers? Editor: The corn, maybe. The corn garland around the football hints at that potential reading. The football almost morphs into an idol; a representation of triumph and plenty. In American iconography, the heroic athlete channels values like discipline, hard work, and, crucially here, regional loyalty. Curator: Absolutely, and that symbol echoes through generations. Consider how sports are financed at state universities, even as broader access to affordable higher education is challenged; the athlete, in a sense, is cast in the symbolic role of gladiator. It's not just entertainment but deeply embedded within institutions. Editor: That's astute, the institutional framework becomes clearer when we view art in relation to structures of power. Yet the raw celebratory vigor in the piece—do you see some contradiction, here? How would that be processed by a viewer? Curator: I'd argue that seeming paradox – raw power against stylized charm – actually strengthens its symbolic power. The cartoonish glee almost makes the symbolic undercurrent more acceptable or palatable to an ordinary spectator, who just recognizes hometown pride. The exaggeration removes him a step from the potential deeper issues. Editor: Interesting! On initial encounter, my immediate sense was merely exuberant energy, I confess. Looking deeper unearths some of its trickier implications. Curator: And by looking critically, we engage with cultural forces reflected in art, beyond that initial impact. We expose symbolic depth. Editor: Exactly, and in decoding symbolism we bring to the surface how images impact public thought over time. Food for consideration when engaging with a playful illustration like this one!