John Baldessari, Pollock/Benton: Same (2016), via Art Observed

For the past several years, artist John Baldessari has continued to mine a particular mode of textual and graphic interrelations.  Combining disparate systems of images, texts and manipulations on the surface of the work (all of which have become hallmarks of his approach respectively), his images in recent years have taken on a sense of theme and variation, exploring the varied interpretive contexts that seem to emerge out of his simple juxtapositions of form and language.  This almost procedural approach to the image continues in his most recent body of works, currently on view at Marian Goodman in New York.

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John Baldessari at Sprüth Magers, via Thisbe Gensler for Art Observed

Sprüth Magers, the German gallery with outposts in Cologne, Berlin and London, has opened its inaugural Los Angeles exhibition with a show of new works by John Baldessari.  Located across the street from LACMA on Wilshire’s Miracle Mile, the new gallery boasts two floors of paintings, its street-facing windows covered in Baldessari’s iconic scrawl, “I will not make any more boring art.”  The sixteen works in the show do not disappoint, showcasing the artist’s trademark conceptual wit in a series of works emblematizing his interest in visual and textual modes of communication, artistic authorship and the notion of absence.  Having worked across a vast range of media and styles he states descends from Duchamp, Baldessari continues to explore the agency of the viewer in finding and defining meaning in his pieces.

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John Baldessari is interviewed in the New York Times this week, as the artist opens his new show at Sprüth Magers in LA, and reflects on his career.  “I was going to be an art historian once,” he says. “That was early on, in the early ’70s, when I thought being an artist wasn’t very dignified. I thought being an art historian, I could be called Dr. Baldessari, and that would be better.” (more…)

John Baldessari and Meredith Monk will receive National Medals of Arts at the White House this week, celebrating their contributions to contemporary practice.  The awards ceremony will take place September 10th. (more…)

In a conversation with the Wall Street Journal, art dealer Marian Goodman discusses her new London gallery, set to open October 14th with an show of recent works by Gerhard Richter, whom she represents. The article describes Goodman’s expansion into the area as a “defensive move designed to protect territory she’s staked out over decades” against potential poachers such as David Zwirner and Hauser & Wirth, both of which have galleries in the neighborhood.  In addition to Richter, this “territory” includes artists such as Steve McQueen, John Baldessari, and William Kentridge, an impressive dossier that is testament to Goodman’s reputation as both a good judge of talent and a loyal agent.  (more…)

John Baldessari is featured in this month’s edition of “My Favorite Things” in the Wall Street Journal, in which he shows off some of his favorite art works, possessions and gifts from friends, including an enormous chili pod given to him from Tom Waits, a postcard drawing from Sol LeWitt, and another from the creator of Spongebob Squarepants. (more…)

David Salle/ Francis Picabia (Installation View), via Galerie Thaddeus Ropac

Currently on view at Galerie Thaddeus Ropac’s Marais location in Paris is a trans-Atlantic exhibition, featuring the works of David Salle and Francis Picabia, and focusing on a dialogue between the US-born Salle’s contemporary paintings and the French surrealism of Picabia. (more…)

Los Angeles based-artist John Baldessari has redesigned 12 LA metro buses in partnership with the “Arts Matter” campaign for the Los Angeles Fund for Public Education.  The buses are redesigned to resembled classic school buses, with the words “Learn to Dream” and its Spanish equivalent “Aprende a soñar,” in support of public arts education.  The project aims to “start a conversation about the role of arts education and give artists a platform to address this issue,” says ForYourArt founder and project producer Bettina Korek. (more…)

John Baldessari at the Edison Ballroom, all photos by Elene Damenia for Art Observed

This year, SculptureCenter honored Paula Cooper with a presentation by John Baldessari and a performance by Christian Marclay. The program included artist projects by Alisa Baremboym, Ian Cheng, and Martin Soto Climent, and the Karaoke Afterparty. New limited edition artworks by Uri Aran, Adam McEwen, and Hanna Sandin were also introduced.

Christian Marclay’s performance (more…)

All photos taken on site by Aniko Berman

On Monday, September 24, Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl, the New York gallery for the famed Los Angeles print workshop, hosted its Artists for Obama event celebrating the Artists for Obama 2012 limited edition portfolio created and sold to support Obama’s reelection efforts. For the campaign, 19 artists have come together to create a portfolio of limited edition prints, with all proceeds going to the Obama Victory Fund. Of the 150 examples, 60 have already sold at $28,000 each; at the end of the project, Gemini G.E.L. hopes to raise 4.2 million dollars for the campaign. An additional sweepstakes offers supporters a chance to win the full portfolio for a $250 contribution to the fund.

Image: Artist James Rosenquist

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Former MOCA Chief Executive Charles E. Young has called for the removal of museum director Jeffrey Deitch following a tumultuous month that included the resignation of long-time curator Paul Schimmel and artists John Baldessari, Catherine Opie, Barbara Kruger and Ed Ruscha. In an email to donor and influential board member Eli Broad, Young concluded that “I will do anything I can to try to right the MOCA ship, but nothing will work, in my mind, without a new Captain/Director.”

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Amidst the resignation of chief curator Paul Schimmel and artist-trustees Catherine Opie, Barbara Kruger, John Baldessari and Ed Ruscha,MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch responds to recent criticisms in an open letter and also an interview in which he rejects the notion of a more “celebrity-driven” exhibition program. “I believe that an art exhibition can be engaging, fun and deeply intellectually satisfying and serious,” Deitch said. “These are not contradictory concepts in art.”

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Ed Ruscha has resigned from the Board of Trustees at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. Following Joh Baldessari, Catherine Opie and Barbara Kruger’s departure over the dismissal of long time curator Paul Schimmel, the board is now with no artist representation. In a letter to museum director Jeffrey Deitch, Ruscha was candid; “My defection may look obvious, but it will be all the better for the museum, which is on a course different than I imagined, but one I hope to support in the future.”

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Barbara Kruger and Catherine Opie resign from MOCA board, following John Baldessari’s leave last Thursday after curator Paul Schimmel’s departure following reported conflicts with new Director  Jeffrey Deitch.  Opie stated that: “I love and respect MOCA. It’s the first place I’ve ever had a solo museum show, and it’s had a profound influence on artists in Los Angeles, but the museum is taking such a different direction now… What concerns me is seeing the museum embracing more celebrity and fashion.”

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John Baldessari resigns from the board of MOCA, Los Angeles after the museum’s ousting of chief curator Paul Schimmel, who came into philosophical disputes about the museum’s direction with major benefactor Eli Broad and director Jeffrey Deitch.  Baldessari is the fifth trustee to resign since February.

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‪‬Video: ‘A Brief History of John Baldessari‘ commissioned by LACMA for their first annual “Art + Film Gala” and narrated by Tom Waits spans the artist’s entire oeuvre, as well as his daily life in the studio, including his internet password and dog, Giotto

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John Baldessari, Double Bill (2012), installation view. Images courtesy of Galerie Marian Goodman.

John Baldessari showcases his wit and playfulness with Double Bill at the Galerie Marian Goodman in Paris. In a series of seven new paintings, Baldessari juxtaposes two iconic works of art on one canvas. By naming only one of the artists whose work he has appropriated in each piece, Baldessari asks the viewer to tap in to one’s own memory to find the name. In this way, Double Bill functions as a kind of art historical name game.

John Baldessari, …and Balthus (2012) (more…)

‪‬MOCA announces 2011 acquisitions, including works by Cindy Sherman and John Baldessari [AO Newslink]

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John Baldessari – The First $100,000 I Ever Made (2011) Traffic View

In 1934, the United States government initiated a cash bailout of its Federal Reserve banks, sending out 42,000 $100,000 bills bearing the likeness of former President Woodrow Wilson.  These bills were used to guarantee the gold reserves still on hold in these banks, effectively supporting their investments on the verge of a total banking collapse.  This bit of fiscal lore is the inspiration behind a new installation by John Baldessari at the Highline Park in New York City.  The First $100,000 I EverMade hangs above 10th Avenue traffic, bringing historical context to the forefront of the current fiscal malaise.

The Original $100,000 Bill

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Allora & Calzadilla, Umbrella and Bell (2011), front; Anish Kapoor, Untitled (2011), behind. At Lisson Gallery, booth J1. All photos on site for Art Observed by Caroline Claisse.

International collectors and art enthusiasts filled the Miami Beach Convention Center for the Wednesday preview of Art Basel Miami Beach 2011. While the maze of gallery booths could seem overwhelming, buyers were able to navigate through for a solid day of sales and works placed on reserve. Larger galleries such as Gagosian, David Zwirner, and Sprüth Magers sold several works and editions thereof. Speaking with Neil Wenman of Hauser & Wirth, “We’ve had a great response on the opening day. In particular for works by Thomas Houseago, Rashid Johnson, Paul McCarthy, Matthew Day Jackson, Richard Jackson—all works sold and all available editions.” Jenny Holzer’s new paintings at Sprüth Magers sold for upwards of $300,000, as well as Condos and Krugers at the booth. Lesser-known galleries were pleased to gain the exposure the fair offers; if not selling right away, interest was high and therefore also prospects for the remainder of the fair. Gallery Arratia Beer said the crowd was very engaged and informed, also saying, “The fair feels very international. It’s also good to see young internationals here too.” The newer Latin American presence was reportedly strong, both exhibiting and buying, as expected in Miami as opposed to the Frieze or FIAC fairs across the Atlantic earlier this year. Celebrities on hand included Julian Schnable, Eli Broad, Brett Rattner, Naomi Campbell, and Sean Combs/P. Diddy.

Larry Gagosian

Entrance D at the Miami Convention Center

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Paul McCarthy, Cultural Gothic (1992). All photos on site for Art Observed by Caroline Claisse.

Art Observed was on site for the private Tuesday evening preview of the Rubell Family Collection/Contemporary Arts Foundation show American Exuberance. Throughout 28 gallery spaces in a 45,000 sq ft museum, 190 works by 64 artists explore the American condition today through art, dissecting the paradoxical arenas of culture, economics, and politics. A 244-page catalog includes written commentaries by 13 of the artists from the notable roster, as follows: Thomas Houseago, Richard Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Nate Lowman, Richard Prince, Sterling Ruby, Haim Steinbach, Ryan Trecartin, and to name a few. About a quarter of the works were made in 2011 specifically for the show.  Also, Art Observed returned the next morning on Wednesday for Jennifer Rubell’s 11th annual breakfast, which is presented every morning throughout the week, treats visitors to a small jar of fresh yogurt, to be ‘anointed’ with honey dripping from the ceiling.

Collecting dripping honey at Jennifer Rubell’s Incubation yogurt and honey breakfast.

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John Baldessari, Double Feature: Sudden Fear (2011). Via Sprueth Magers.

Eighty-year old John Baldessari opens Berlin’s Sprueth Magers fall season with new works in a show titled Double Feature. Baldessari continues his image appropriation, for which he is well-known, with this series of works giving the audience a complex set of collages to view. Baldessari is a pioneer in hybrid art forms, mixing photographic collages, paint, billboards, and performance, remaining outside the confines of a neat categorization.

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Still from PST video with John Baldessari and Jason Schwartzman. Via CalArts.

Began by the Getty Foundation nearly ten years ago, the Pacific Standard Time (PST) initiative has done well, to say the least, with the most recent issue of Artforum almost completely devoted to art in L.A. While PST-related programming began in early September, the weekend of October 1st was the highly anticipated official “opening weekend,” with sixteen exhibitions opening across the city.

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Pacific Standard Time’s latest video ad features Jason Schwartzman and a looming John Baldessari [AO Newslink]

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