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Lot Essay
“I’m interested in what gets us to stop and look as opposed to simply consuming images passively. If there is anything political in my work then it is to be found in the ability of my images to question the nature of imagery itself.” (J. Baldessari, quoted in M. Sanders, “John Baldessari,” Another Magazine, Autumn-Winter 2003, p. 390).
Fascinated with the notion of withholding critical pieces of information from his audience, Baldessari’s Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Three): (Black) Face and (Yellow) Face with Noses, Hands, and Bookcase, lists the components of the piece within the title, in true Baldessarian fashion. The familiarity of two men at a bookcase, an image appropriated by Baldessari, is altered through the use of colored planes covering the men’s faces, their hair and bodies left as outlines, leaving us to wonder who they are and what they might be discussing. Enticing the viewer’s curiosity, Baldessari has boldly pronounced – “I’m interested in what gets us to stop and look as opposed to simply consuming images passively. If there is anything political in my work then it is to be found in the ability of my images to question the nature of imagery itself” (J. Baldessari, quoted in M. Sanders, “John Baldessari,” Another Magazine, Autumn-Winter 2003, p. 390).
Working with a variety of media throughout his career, Baldessari’s recent works are an amalgamation of his groundbreaking ideas, visual style, and conceptual prowess. The images he appropriates tap into a collective consciousness that play with our perspective on conventional categories, largely perpetuated by films and photographs. Baldessari’s Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Three) is part of a larger series that explores anonymity, ambiguity, and the complexity of human interaction—compelling us to question their identity and the nature of this austere meeting at the bookcase.
Fascinated with the notion of withholding critical pieces of information from his audience, Baldessari’s Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Three): (Black) Face and (Yellow) Face with Noses, Hands, and Bookcase, lists the components of the piece within the title, in true Baldessarian fashion. The familiarity of two men at a bookcase, an image appropriated by Baldessari, is altered through the use of colored planes covering the men’s faces, their hair and bodies left as outlines, leaving us to wonder who they are and what they might be discussing. Enticing the viewer’s curiosity, Baldessari has boldly pronounced – “I’m interested in what gets us to stop and look as opposed to simply consuming images passively. If there is anything political in my work then it is to be found in the ability of my images to question the nature of imagery itself” (J. Baldessari, quoted in M. Sanders, “John Baldessari,” Another Magazine, Autumn-Winter 2003, p. 390).
Working with a variety of media throughout his career, Baldessari’s recent works are an amalgamation of his groundbreaking ideas, visual style, and conceptual prowess. The images he appropriates tap into a collective consciousness that play with our perspective on conventional categories, largely perpetuated by films and photographs. Baldessari’s Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Three) is part of a larger series that explores anonymity, ambiguity, and the complexity of human interaction—compelling us to question their identity and the nature of this austere meeting at the bookcase.