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SPORTS, ART & PROPAGANDA
By JONATHAN DONALDSON
del.ico.us
reddit!
Baseball season is upon us! And while the Dig may not be your go-to paper for stats and trade rumors, we're suckers for some baseball art. Your Fleer glossy Mo Vaughn poster from grade school still tacked to the inside of your closet? Swing down to the South End to pick up an original handmade Chris Speakman silkscreen print. Speakman's designs are emblematic, harkening back to the days when Ted Williams took time out to fight in two wars and Ty Cobb jumped into the stands to beat the shit out of a fan. Dustin Pedroia slaps one in the gap, urging you to "Join the Ranks!" while a cool but imposing David Ortiz points in the familiar Uncle Sam pose—"I Want You for Red Sox Nation." "I refer to it as a 1940s wartime propaganda look," says Speakman. "The idea is to engage the viewer and the fan into the game, making them feel like they can do something to support the team."
Speakman's work went from fan art in his Somerville studio to an MLB-licensed operation in the span of a few seasons. Now he's doing everyone from Phillies World Series MVP Cole Hamels ("Let ''Em Have It!") to the Cubs Kosuke Fukudome ("Support Our North Siders!"). There's even a Jeter print ("The Captain") for you haters. "I actually tried to use the military symbol for captain—it's two bars—but MLB told me I couldn't use it because it looked too much like the twin towers," he says. I wouldn't be surprised if he watermarked those Jeter prints with a hidden picture of Mariah Carey, though.
Speakman's still one of us.
[Chris Speakman: Sports, Art & Propaganda. Until 5.24.09. Artist reception Fri 4.10.09, 6pm-8pm. Michelle Willey Gallery, 8 Union Park St., Boston. 617.424.6700. michellewilley.com, sportspropaganda.com]
