Jim Dow’s empty baseball stadiums fill a new exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada ( Photo Provided )
The National Gallery of Canada is hitting a grand slam as it combines arts and sports into a new exhibit.
Ball Parks: Jim Dow’s Photographs of Baseball Stadiums is gracing the walls of the National Gallery through the end of this month. There are 26 colour panoramic views of empty parks showing the top Major League Baseball stadiums of 1982, from the Toronto Blue Jays Exhibition Stadium to the Houston Astro’s Astrodome to the Bronx’s storied Yankee Stadium.
Using cameras placed at three separate viewpoints, but connected to one main picture, from the ballpark stands, gives the audience a full view of the expanse, beauty and operability of the homes of America’s favourite pastime.
The photos capture any moment in time in the team’s history, which is remarkable considering no players or fans are seen. What is pictured is all that was, whether remembered as good or bad, and all the dreams of glory that is hoped to be.
Jim Dow, the exhibit’s artist, is a celebrated American photographer best known for capturing common architectural structures such as corner shops and billboards, but through his photos he gives them a more profound view into the lives of everyday people and places.
The exhibit runs until Sept. 27 and students receive a reduced admission charge to view the general collection including Ball Parks.