John Baldessari (American, 1931 –2020)
Black Dice, 1982
Portfolio of nine color etchings and one black and white photograph Etchings: 16 ½ x 19 ¾ in. each; 17 ¾ x 21 in. each framed Gelatin silver print: 18 ¼ x 21 ½ in.; 17 ¾ x 21 in. framed
California conceptual artist John Baldessari utilizes existing photographs as source material to comment on contemporary image-making and culture. In Black Dice, Baldessari took a publicity photograph for a 1948 English gangster movie and used it to produce nine distinct compositions. When these pieces are reassembled into a grid, they become recognizable as a deconstructed and fragmented version of the original movie scene. By including the original film still to the right of the grid, Baldessari provides viewers with a key to interpret each individual part and to understand its relation to the whole.
Baldessari removes the faces of the actors in his nine-piece etchings, encouraging viewers to explore beyond the central focus of the image. “If you can’t see their face, you’re going to look at how they’re dressed, maybe their stance, their surroundings. I think you really sort of dig beneath the surface, and you can see what that photograph is really about, what's going on," says Baldessari. In doing so, he underscores the vital role of peripheral elements and emphasizes the importance of contextual relationships in communicating meaning.
Baldessari’s impact on the West Coast art scene has been profound, and his extensive teaching career at CalArts and UCLA has played a crucial role in shaping the development of prominent artists including David Salle, Mike Kelley, Tony Oursler, James Welling, Meg Cranston, Liz Larner, Mungo Thomson, Kerry Tribe, Elliott Hundley and Analia Saban. Baldessari’s work can be found in the permanent collections of most major national and international museums.
More information on John Baldessari can be found here:
https://art21.org/artist/john-baldessari/
https://eastofborneo.org/articles/john-baldessari-cut-to-the-chase/