Skirball Cultural Center
Unauthorized History of Baseball
Los Angeles, CA • opened 2016

In a series of colorful, captivating, and often provocative paintings, Los Angeles artist Ben Sakoguchi examines how baseball, long referred to as America’s national pastime, reflects both the highs and lows of American culture. Sakoguchi juxtaposes the iconic imagery of vintage orange crate labels from the 1920s to the 1950s with whimsical, eccentric, and sometimes scathing portrayals of America’s beloved sport.

Presented as a companion to the exhibit Chasing Dreams, this expansive collection, The Unauthorized History of Baseball in 100-Odd Paintings: The Art of Ben Sakoguchi presents a “people’s history” of baseball, telling true stories of players and communities that have been overlooked, forgotten, or misrepresented.

Developed with Picnic Design. Red Cape Studio was hired to design the physical layout and structures for the exhibition.