California Angels c. 1990

Curator: Oh, this piece just bursts with playful energy! The dynamism, the caricature… Editor: We’re looking at Jack Davis’ “California Angels,” a drawing dating to around 1990. The image combines the sport of baseball with…well, angelic iconography. Curator: It’s a feast for the eyes, certainly. What strikes me is the raw immediacy of the lines, probably created with pen, reflecting the fast-paced world of sports illustration. Look at the hatching on the baseball uniform! Editor: Absolutely. The artwork clearly taps into the visual language of comic books. I'm curious about the commercial context that nurtured this piece – the culture that consumes and celebrates this type of caricature, often featured in magazines like MAD. Davis himself was a key player in its history, wasn't he? Curator: Indeed. Davis perfected this bold style throughout his career, straddling commercial art and fine art practices. The physicality of the inked line brings a real handmade sensibility that makes it appealing. Even today. Editor: It also has something to say about the glorification of athletes in contemporary society – elevating them almost to mythological status with the addition of the halo and wings. It also adds a quirky spin to the brand identity. I wonder how the California Angels organization responded to being represented in such a way? Curator: It probably depended on the individual and their position. I find the discarded shoes on the ground almost reminiscent of old equipment sitting idle. What labor went into them? Where were they made? They feel almost forlorn next to this "Angel". Editor: True, that’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thinking about baseball and fandom, it reflects a complex interplay between popular culture, artistic expression, and the celebrity culture that is perpetually promoted in the sport, then and now. I am glad to see how they were willing to portray it self-consciously in these drawings. Curator: Me too, these rough lines create such a fresh quality even decades later.