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John Baldessari

American artist John Baldessari has been regarded since the 1960s as one of the foremost and most versatile of conceptual artists, exploring such diverse media as painting, drawing, photography and video. As a professor at the California Institute of the Arts, he has influenced generations of artists and is revered as the father of the Picture Generation – a group of well-known artists such as David Salle, James Welling, Matt Mullican, Troy Brauntuch, and many others.

In his oeuvre, Baldessari often questions the relationship between text and image by juxtaposing the medium of the written word alongside that of the visual image. In doing so, he contrasts two different means of communication and explores the complex relationship between two fundamental forms of human expression. Combining text and image within a work formulates new statements and, with that, opens up a whole new range of connotations, associations and innovative approaches that inspire different ways of thinking.

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  • Goya Series

    • John Baldessari, Goya Series: NO ONE KNOWS WHY, 1997

      inkjet print and hand lettering on canvas
      75.2 x 59.84 in (191 x 152 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Goya Series: TRUE TO FORM, 1997

      inkjet print and hand lettering on canvas
      75.2 x 59.84 in (191 x 152 cm)

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  • Overlap Series

    • John Baldessari, The Overlap Series: Building (with Two Cars) and Goat Eating Dynamite, 2001

      color digital photographic prints with acrylic on sintra board
      72.83 x 60.63 in (185 x 154 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, The Overlap Series: Arctic Landscape with Two Aliens, 2001

      color digital photographic prints with acrylic on sintra board
      51.97 x 72.83 in (132 x 185 cm)

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  • Duress Series

    • John Baldessari, The Duress Series: Person Kicking Over Seated Person and Third Person Perhaps, 2003

      digital photographic print with acrylic on Sintra
      59.84 x 179.92 in (152 x 457 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, The Duress Series: Person Climbing Exterior Wall of Tall Building / Person on Ledge of Tall Building / Person on Girders of Unfinished Tall Building, 2003

      digital photographic print with acrylic on Sintra
      59.84 x 179.92 in (152 x 457 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, The Duress Series: Person Shielding from Spill from Overturned Bottle, 2003

      digital photographic print with acrylic on Sintra
      59.84 x 59.84 in (152 x 152 cm)

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  • Prima Facie (Second State)

    • John Baldessari, Prima Facie (Second State): Troubled, 2005

      archival digital print on canvas with UV varnish coating, acrylic on canvas
      47.24 x 75.59 in (120 x 192 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Prima Facie (Second State): Jolly, 2005

      archival digital print on canvas with UV varnish coating, acrylic on canvas
      46.85 x 75.2 in (119 x 191 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Prima Facie (Second State): Hopeless, 2005

      archival digital print on canvas with UV varnish coating, acrylic on canvas
      46.85 x 75.98 in (119 x 193 cm)

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  • Noses & Ears, Etc.

    • John Baldessari, Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Four): Altered Person (with Blue Nose), 2007

      three dimensional inkjet print with acrylic paint mounted on Sintra
      61.42 x 43.31 in (156 x 110 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Four): Two Viewwers and One Altered Person, 2007

      three dimensional inkjet prints with acrylic paint mounted on Sintra
      43.31 x 89.76 in (110 x 228 cm)

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  • Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads

    • John Baldessari, Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads: Shark (with Teeth Bared), 2009

      acrylic paint, three dimensional archival print, laminated with lexan and mounted on sintra
      83.86 x 42.52 in (213 x 108 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads: Person (with Guitar), 2009

      acrylic paint, three dimensional archival print, laminated with lexan and mounted on sintra
      83.86 x 38.58 in (213 x 98 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads: Two Arms (Pointing in Opposite Directions), 2009

      acrylic paint, three dimensional archival print, laminated with lexan and mounted on sintra
      83.86 x 52.36 in (213 x 133 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Raised Eyebrows/Furrowed Foreheads:Three Person (with Boutonnieres and Handshake, 2009

      acrylic paint, three dimensional archival print, laminated with lexan and mounted on Sintra
      84.25 x 58.66 in (214 x 149 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads: Person (with Guitar), 2009

      acrylic paint, three dimensional archival print, laminated with lexan and mounted on sintra
      83.86 x 38.58 in (213 x 98 cm)

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  • Double Vision

    • John Baldessari, Double Vision: Lewitt (Blue), 2011

      varnished archival print on canvas with oil paint
      74.41 x 53.94 in (189 x 137 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Double Vision: Matisse, 2011

      varnished archival print on canvas with oil paint
      74.41 x 53.94 in (189 x 137 cm)

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  • Morsels And Snippets

    • John Baldessari, Morsels And Snippets: Roast Foie Gras With Barberry Braided Konbu And Crab Biscuit, 2013

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic and oil paint
      72.05 x 75.59 in (183 x 192 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Morsels And Snippets: Smoked White Corn Veloute, 2013

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic and oil paint
      72.05 x 83.86 in (183 x 213 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Morsels And Snippets: Baby Octupus In Pimenton De La Vera Paprika Smoke, 2013

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic and oil paint
      77.17 x 51.97 in (196 x 132 cm)

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  • 2015 Work Series

    • John Baldessari, GOETHE, 2015

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      76.77 x 53.94 in (195 x 137 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, SCISSORS, 2015

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      53.94 x 53.54 in (137 x 136 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, RADIO, 2015

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      59.45 x 53.94 in (151 x 137 cm)

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  • Video Works

    • John Baldessari, I Will Not Make Anymore Boring Art,, 1971

      b&w video, sound

      31:17 min

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  • Editions

    • John Baldessari, Marilyn, 2016

      5 color screenprint on archival inkjet print
      29.92 x 17.72 in (76 x 45 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Engravings with Sounds: SOB, GRUNT, CLACK, SNEEZE, URG, TOOT, 2015

      archival inkjet print on paper sizes variable from 26 x 10 7/8 in. to 26 x 25 1/4 in.
      54.72 x 107.09 in (139 x 272 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, The News: Person Holding Umbrella (horizontally) in Snowstorm, 2014

      multi-color screenprint
      31.1 x 35.43 in (79 x 90 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, The News: Four Ducks Standing on a Bench (in front of a Blackboard). Three Ducks on the Floor, 2014

      multi-color screenprint
      46.46 x 35.04 in (118 x 89 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Falling Star, 1990

      Photogravure with color aquatint on Sommerset-Satin paper (410 g)
      62.6 x 20.87 in (159 x 53 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Two Sets (One with Bench), 1989

      photogravure with color aquatint on Sommerset-Satin paper
      47.64 x 29.92 in (121 x 76 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Throwing three balls in the air to get a straight line (Best of thirty-six attempts), 1973

      Portfolio of 12 individual lithographs⁠
      9.84 x 12.99 in (25 x 33 cm)

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  • Windmill Series

    • John Baldessari, Look At Me, 2017

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      68.9 x 53.94 in (175 x 137 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Hmmm, 2017

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      69.69 x 53.94 in (177 x 137 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, The, 2017

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      66.14 x 53.94 in (168 x 137 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Briefly, 2017

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      85.04 x 53.94 in (216 x 137 cm)

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    • John Baldessari, Windmill Series: At, 2017

      varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint
      64.17 x 53.94 in (163 x 137 cm)

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  • Hot & Cold Series

    • John Baldessari, Hot & Cold Series: SOME OF THE CREATURES… GILLIS Bases loaded., 2018

      2-parts, inkjet prints, acrylic paint on canvas Volcano
      55.51 x 89.76 in (141 x 228 cm)

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