Existing comment:
John Baldessari born 1931
Born National City, California
California native John Baldessari is a leading conceptual artist and dedicated educator, teaching art for more than thirty years in all levels of the California school system. After famously cremating his early paintings in the 1970s, Baldessari expanded his work from painting to other mediums, most notably photographs and film. Using found images from old Hollywood movies or filming language games and chance experiments (such as throwing a ball), he emphasizes the randomness of the creative process.
This large work by Alphonse van Woerkom uses detailed crosshatching to wonderful effect, particularly for the artist's skin and hair. He also captures the essence of Baldessari's stature (six foot, seven inches) by allowing the forms to swell to the edges of the paper. In 2013, the California Institute of the Arts opened the John Baldessari Art Studio Building, acknowledging the artist's generosity and his love of teaching.
Alphonse van Woerkom (born 1943)
Charcoal, conté crayon, and pastel on paper, 2009 |