John Baldessari (1931-2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his witty and irreverent approach to art-making. He was born in National City, California and grew up in a working-class family. After serving in the Army during the Korean War, Baldessari attended San Diego State University and later received his MFA from Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.
Baldessari's early work was heavily influenced by the emerging conceptual art movement of the 1960s. He often combined photographic images and text to create pieces that questioned the traditional boundaries of art and challenged viewers' perceptions. In his "Wrong" series, for example, he paired photographs of mundane objects with text that contradicted or undermined their meaning, creating a sense of irony and absurdity.
Throughout his career, Baldessari worked in a variety of media, including painting, photography, video, and installation. He was known for his use of bright colors and his irreverent sense of humor. One of his most famous works is "I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art" (1971), a piece in which he wrote the phrase repeatedly on a gallery wall.
Baldessari was also a highly regarded teacher, having taught at various institutions throughout his career, including the California Institute of the Arts and the University of California, Los Angeles. His influence on the art world was far-reaching, and he was widely recognized as one of the most important and influential artists of his generation.
John Baldessari passed away on January 2, 2020, at the age of 88. His legacy continues to inspire and influence artists around the world.