World Cup '74 Portrait #225 (Jairzinho: Brazil)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The Project continues with this re-mediation of an image of the iconic Jairzinho, who, already a bona fide World Cup star (having scored in every match for the eventual winners, & thus reigning champions, Brazil at the preceding 1970 tournament), was featured in both the FKS & Panini ’74 sticker albums, & selected for inclusion in the Brazilians’ squad for the Finals, where he went on to be an ever-present, appearing throughout all 7 of Brazil’s matches, although this time scoring only twice, against Zaire & the winner over Argentina.

Such a profile ensured that Jairzinho’s became one of the few names that registered during & stuck in the memory following my exposure to the televised coverage of the event, experienced as a football novice, &, indeed, became a fixture in our school playground kickabouts.

World Cup '74 Portrait #224 (Ivan Zafirov: Bulgaria)

graphite & putty eraser/30x21cm

The latest drawing to be processed in the Project is a re-mediation of an image of Ivan Zafirov, who was represented in both the FKS & Panini World Cup ’74 commemorative albums, & selected as a member of the official Bulgaria squad for the Finals, but not subsequently chosen to play in any of his country’s 3 matches at the tournament, which they departed at the conclusion of the First Round group stage.

World Cup '74 Portrait #223 (Jurica Jerkovic: Yugoslavia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest drawing in the project features a particularly ghostly representation of Jurica Jerkovic, who was pictured in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album & subsequently included in the Yugoslavia squad for the tournament, at which he appeared in each of the Yugoslav’s 3 Second Phase matches, as a late substitute against West Germany (too late to effect the course of events after his team had just gone 0 – 2 down), as an early replacement for Brane 'Branko' Oblak against Poland, & then retaining his place from the start in the final defeat to Sweden, none of which registered upon my consciousness at the time.

World Cup '74 Portrait #222 (Jan Olsson (2): Sweden)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s addition to the drawing Project is a re-mediation of an image of another Jan Olsson, who was represented in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album but, unlike his namesake, was not selected for inclusion in the official Sweden squad for the Finals, thus being one of those ghosts whose only presence in relation to the tournament was, & remains, via such items of memorabilia as the sticker albums upon which this project is founded.

World Cup '74 Portrait #221 (Roberto Perfumo: Argentina)

Today the opposite of tomato is 'the texture of gas'

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Continuing the Project with a representation of Roberto Perfumo, who was featured in the Panini ’München 74’ sticker album, which image provides our original source material for this drawing (& also a previous version), & selected for inclusion in Argentina squad for the Finals, not merely as a member but as its captain, subsequently playing in the Argentinians’ first four fixtures before being omitted following the opening Second Round drubbing (0 – 4) by Holland.

World Cup '74 Portrait #220 (Vladislaw Bogicevic: Yugoslavia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The Project snowballs on with this latest accretion to the mass, a re-mediation of an image of Vladislav Bogićević, who was represented in both the FKS & Panini sticker albums, & chosen as a member of the official Yugoslavia squad for the Finals, at which he appeared in/throughout five of the Yugoslav’s matches, scoring once, in the 9 – 0 rout of Zaire, missing only the opening Second Phase defeat to the hosts West Germany (none of those 3 named states existing any longer, of course, a further hauntological aspect of the memorabilia), although his name, like the great majority of those involved in the event,  remained unknown to me until the inception of this project.

World Cup '74 Portrait #219 (Ladislao Mazurkiewicz: Uruguay)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest drawing in the Project is a re-mediation of an image of the magnificently-named Ladislao Mazurkiewicz, who was represented in the Panini ’München 74’ sticker album but not its FKS counterpart, & also chosen for selection in the Uruguay squad for the Finals (having also kept goal at both the 1966 & 1970 tournaments, but only once for his national team between the latter & the ’74 World Cup), where he appeared in all 3 of the Uruguayans’ matches, although his or indeed their presence made no impression upon my consciousness at the time (for whatever reason, though the name & his playing for Uruguay are significant factors it must be admitted, Mazurkiewicz, now sadly deceased, has subsequently become one of my favourite historical goalkeepers).

World Cup '74 Portrait #218 (Sepp Maier: West Germany)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Continuing the progress of the Project with this re-mediated representation of Sepp Maier, who was featured in both the FKS & Panini World Cup ’74 sticker albums & selected for inclusion in the official West Germany squad for the Finals.

One of the few memorable names from my experience of the television coverage of the tournament, Maier’s penchant for what appeared comically oversized gloves & shorts (a style that later would become familiar amongst goalkeepers) made him an easily-recognizable figure, & his ever-presence in the West German team as it won the tournament was obviously another significant factor in his name sticking in the mind.

World Cup '74 Portrait #217 (Hector Yazalde: Argentina)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The second of this new year’s drawings features as its portrait subject Hector Yazalde, who was represented in the Panini ’München 74’ sticker album – which image thus serves as our original source material - & chosen as a member of the official Argentina squad for the Finals, at which he subsequently played in 3 matches, scoring twice in the 4 -1 victory over Haiti.

A re-mediation of the same original image of Hector Yazalde was the subject of a drawing in an earlier version of the World Cup ’74 project, & can be found here.

World Cup '74 Portrait #216 (Fabio Capello: Italy)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Kicking-off the new year (& wishing a happy one to all) with a continuation of the current drawing project & in this particular instance a re-mediation of an image of Fabio Capello, who was featured in both the FKS & Panini World Cup ’74 commemorative sticker albums, & included in the Italy squad for the Finals themselves, where he went on to play in each of the Italians’ 3 ultimately unsuccessful First Round group matches, scoring the late merely consolatory goal in the 1 – 2 defeat to Poland that sealed the Azzurri’s early elimination from the tournament.