Patricia Faure Gallery, Santa Monica; Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles
Catalogue Essay
John Baldessari, who has contributed to the definition of Postmodern Art, uses irony and incongruity to exploit the gap between what is heard, what may seem, or even what is understood. In this work, he uses three different images juxtaposed together to create a single work – images from a series of photographs which the artist had taken or bought - collected during trips and other personal experiences. When placed together, they become a visual diary. Delving into an image bank of personal memories, Baldessari chooses random images in order to create a controversial visual experience for the viewer. Not quite understanding how the two individual images correspond or relate to each other, the viewer is left to decipher many possible connections.
“…Look at the subject as if you have never seen it before. Examine it from every side. Draw its outline with your eyes or in the air with your hands, and saturate yourself with it.” (John Baldessari taken from http://quote.robertgenn.com)