The Tarot de Cooperstown is a series of 78 paintings inspired by the well-known 18th century Tarot de Marseilles, but thematically tied to the sport of baseball.It was conceived and created in 1983 by Paul Kuhrman and James Markowich. The paintings are done on canvas in acrylics and colored pencil. Each painting is 14” x 24”.
Unlike most static, baseball-related visual art, none of these paintings attempts to convey anything about the physical
game as it is played. The Tarot de Cooperstown leaves that behind, for its only concern is for the mysterious, the improbable, the unexpected in the baseball universe. The faces depicted are impassive. The motives behind them cannot be determined, for they do not represent individuals, or active
participants, but rather the role of fate in determining outcomes.
Likewise, the activities depicted in the Tarot de Cooperstown clearly do not represent moments in specific baseball contests. Instead, they are ritualized and richly symbolic. They pertain to the mystery that pervades each moment of athletic competition on the ballfield, while not presenting any particular moment.
