Artwork / Archives / Apple Pie / The Real Babe (Canadian-American, Zan)
The Real Babe (Canadian-American, Zan)
2008
acrylic on canvas
36 x 24 inches
I asked each of the participants in Apple Pie to write something about what it means to be an American. This is Zan’s response.
Being American means buying your way into the mold, or at the very least pretending. You must look like the mold, sound like the mold, act like the mold and mingle with the mold. Being outside the moldlike box brings the inevitable question: “Where are you from?” You can’t possibly be American if you are not white, not somewhat verbally gruff, not somewhat isolated and lonely, not somewhat wanting more than you have or have access to.
As a dedicated athlete, Zan was interested in having her likeness combined with that of a famous sports icon from the US, and we eventually settled on making her into new kind of Babe Ruth. I decided to paint her baseball card, including a made-up team name that references how some Americans pronounce “American” while also pointing out that Canadians like Zan are Americans too, even though USians tend to reserve that title for themselves.
