Monday, March 24, 2014

"PURPOSE PITCH" 17: THE LGBT RIGHT-TO-BE OF BEN (RED BOW BRAND)

While it's virtually certain that there have been others, only Glenn Burke revealed his homosexual orientation while active as a major league baseball player.

The world did not come to an end when that happened, but Burke's association with the Los Angeles Dodgers did shortly afterward.

Ben Sakoguchi's commemoration of Burke takes a darker turn, focusing on Glenn's tragically short life. (Burke died of AIDS complications in 1995; he was only 42).

Ben is in basic, bold poster design mode with Red Bow Brand, focusing on the shape affinities between squares and diamonds.

About the only thing that could improve this in-your-face design would be an inset depicting Glenn's involvement in the creation of the "high five." We've provided it just so you can get a sense of that moment of stylistic singularity.

For a more detailed historical perspective on Glenn Burke, Diane Pucin's 2013 Los Angeles Times article is an excellent place to start.