“Mona Lisa” from Maddon Art (“Put the Art Back in Thee Game”) and artist, Jason Skeldon for The Art of Baseball Collection -
The image depicts Mona Lisa, ready to bat in a baseball game. She is gripping a beaming yellow baseball bat and wearing eye black. All across the canvas are manager, Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon's notes, concepts and symbolic messages in vibrant hues. According to Joe, “She was about putting the art back into the game.”
Framed gallery wrap 100% cotton fabric canvas with high quality print. Every frame is built with a solid face to support the canvas and prevent deforming. Measurements are 18” x 12” x 1.25.” Signature Imprimee.
2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs Manager, Joe Maddon had been reading Walter Isaacson’s book on Leonardo da Vinci during the offseason between 2017 and 2018, and when the manager walked into a clothing store, he saw a painting of Mona Lisa by urban artist Jason Skeldon. Maddon contacted the artist, who was able to incorporate Joe's messages to inspire his team for the 2018 season using Maddon’s handwriting in the painting.
"They all understand that Renaissance chicks dig the leather,” Maddon said. “Just look at the Mona Lisa, and you’ll see that. That’s what we’re capable of doing. In the past when we’ve won at a high level, we’ve played outstanding defense. It never gets old to watch that kind of baseball — the baserunning, the defense, the throws, all of that stuff.”
The artwork traces back to Joe Maddon’s belief that baseball is an artistic game and Major League players, as with all professional athletes, are artists. Maddon has been known to say “They’re not all oil paintings” after sloppy wins. This strategy of promoting baseball creates curiosity and attracts a wider audience to the sport while promoting the arts. The artwork is Maddon’s ideas brought to life by Jason Skeldon, an urban artist, through the use of pop culture images and associative word art.
About the Art (in the words of Joe Maddon):
The first creation was the Mona Lisa. It is the linchpin to the whole thing. She is about putting the art back into the game. This painting is more about the artistic parts of baseball, but it encompasses all of the elements of the game. It’s about defense and base running and hitting. It’s also about first-time eyes and first-time passion. Once we accomplished what we did in 2016, it’s hard to recreate that feeling. We all know what that’s like. Firsts are firsts. So, moving forward we somehow have to fool ourselves into seeing with first-time eyes and feeling the first-time passion. I think that permits you to accomplish things you have reached in the past.
About the Artist:
Jason Skeldon admits he wasn't very good at playing baseball as a kid, but the Tampa, Fla., artist has made a big league connection as an adult. Skeldon and Joe Maddon have combined to create unique paintings to present the Cubs manager's message about the game.
“SKEL” is the alias for Artist Jason Skeldon, originally from Las Vegas. The artist has resided most of his life in Tampa, Florida. Jason has work hanging all over the United States including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, etc. His art style is influenced by pop culture and current events using spray paints, acrylic and water colors, stencils and resins. Skeldon used to draw his own comic books when he was young. A paramedic for eight years, he returned to painting because it helped him deal with anxiety and depression. Now, Skeldon is not only an artist but also a philanthropist. Jason never went to art school and created his own style of art through trial and error with multiple mediums. Influencers are Banksy (artist), Walt Disney, and Warren Buffet.
Product Code: SK000007
Size:18" x 12"
Medium: Serigraph