Baldessari: Design As Communication

Art 21, the excellent art documentary series that runs every two years (since 2001) returned last fall to PBS stations. This biennial event presents four hour-long must see programs. You witness intimate views of the artists’ creative process and hear interviews and visit artists in their studios. The most recent season, entitled Systems, featured John Baldessari, Kimsooja, Allan McCollum and Julie Mehretu – all artists that explore, deconstruct and invent new systems for our 21^st century information- or disinformation- based society.

Art 21 interviewed Baldessari in his Venice, CA studio who elaborated on his use and remix of various mediums such as painting, wordplay and photomontage. Baldessari’s trademark style is that of a deadpan rabble-rouser. His humorous constructions explore systems, yet point out their absurdity, a formula that’s influenced a whole new generation of artists that’s led to relational aesthetics (more on this in future  blogs).

See the painting above. Two people fighting remains a rather serious, violent concept, but it’s reduced to a laughable spectacle because the montage turns one of them orange. Here, non-verbal design is used as a mode of communication.

Baldessari also plays with verbal design: His 1967 text piece “A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE WITHOUT ANY ARTICULATION IS A DEAD EXPERIENCE” is a statement plucked directly from art criticism and placed on canvas for public ridicule (or yes, maybe appreciation). Elsewhere, Baldessari promises: I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art” (1971).

While the series has already aired, you can still check out this preview video of Baldessari discussing his upbringing and entrance into the art world provided by PBS:



Check out this video of Baldessari discussing his upbringing and entrance into the art world provided by PBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWaVCGSXD0k

By Helen Varola

Art 21, the excellent art documentary series that runs every two years (since 2001) returned last fall to PBS stations. This biennial event presents four hour-long must see programs. You witness intimate views of the artists’ creative process and hear interviews and visit artists in their studios. The most recent season, entitled Systems, featured John Baldessari, Kimsooja, Allan McCollum and Julie Mehretu – all artists that explore, deconstruct and invent new systems for our 21^st century information- or disinformation- based society.

Art 21 interviewed Baldessari in his Venice, CA studio who elaborated on his use and remix of various mediums such as painting, wordplay and photomontage. Baldessari’s trademark style is that of a deadpan rabble-rouser. His humorous constructions explore systems, yet point out their absurdity, a formula that’s influenced a whole new generation of artists that’s led to relational aesthetics (more on this in future  blogs).

See the painting above. Two people fighting remains a rather serious, violent concept, but it’s reduced to a laughable spectacle because the montage turns one of them orange. Here, non-verbal design is used as a mode of communication.

Baldessari also plays with verbal design: His 1967 text piece “A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE WITHOUT ANY ARTICULATION IS A DEAD EXPERIENCE” is a statement plucked directly from art criticism and placed on canvas for public ridicule (or yes, maybe appreciation). Elsewhere, Baldessari promises: I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art” (1971).

While the series has already aired, you can still check out this preview video of Baldessari discussing his upbringing and entrance into the art world provided by PBS:

Check out this video of Baldessari discussing his upbringing and entrance into the art world provided by PBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWaVCGSXD0k