Although Conceptual artist John Baldessari is best known for the richly provocative juxtapositions of photographic images and text that characterize his prints and paintings, he actually had something of a traditional art world upbringing — if such a thing exists.
Born in Southern California, Baldessari earned several art degrees, from art education to art history to painting. He also taught art at various institutions such as the California Institute of the Arts throughout his life. Among his many students were David Salle, Tony Oursler, Jim Shaw and Mike Kelley. While helping to shape the art world in Los Angeles, he simultaneously developed his own name as an artist.
In the 1950s, Baldessari’s works were primarily semiabstract paintings, but during the late 1960s, he began to distance himself from painting, as he bristled at the idea of limiting art to a single medium. Baldessari decided to take his career in a dramatically different direction. He burned all his paintings at a funeral home in San Diego, then incorporated the ashes into cookie dough, producing (nonedible) baked goods for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
“It was a very public and symbolic act,” he said, “like announcing you’re going on a diet in order to stick to it.”
From that point on, Baldessari took on an MO of experimentation, dabbling in mediums from video to printmaking to sculpture. “I just stare at something and say: Why isn’t that art? Why couldn’t that be art?” he said in an interview in 2008.
The works for which Baldessari is most highly regarded, however, are striking collages of images and text — many of which are seemingly nonsensical — such as Tom’s Hand Grips the Steering, Wheel… (2015), in which the title’s text is displayed beneath a hippopotamus. As such is his body of work: bringing a sense of joviality to the sometimes too-serious world of Conceptual art.
Before he died in 2020, Baldessari was honored with the 2014 National Medal of Arts Award, the Americans for the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award, the Venice Biennale’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement and more.
Find original John Baldessari art on 1stDibs.
Man, Dog (Blue), Canoe/Shark Fins (One Yellow), Capsized Boat
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
It is hard to characterize John Baldessari’s varied practice—which includes photomontage, artist’s books, prints, paintings, film, performance, and installation—except through his ap...
Etching
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
"Four Hands and a Baseball Bat" by John Baldessari (Monochrome, Sports, Photo)
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
This is a black and white archival inkjet print on Canson Infinity paper. Hand signed and numbered by the artist, John Baldessari. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Lincoln Cent...
Archival Pigment
Cavalry
By John Baldessari
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: John Baldessari Title: Cavalry Year: 1986 Medium: Etching with aquatint on Rives B.F.K paper Sheet: 29 3/4 x 22 inches (75.56 x 55.88 cm) Edition: 35; signed, numbered and da...
Etching, Aquatint
John Baldessari - The Sprinters, for 1984 LA Olympics official COA Lt Ed, Signed
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
John Baldessari The Sprinters, 1982 Limited Edition Offset Lithograph on Parson's Diploma paper Signed in graphite pencil on the front. Accompanied by letter of authenticity from the...
Lithograph, Offset
Kiss, Hair, Hands
By John Baldessari
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: John Baldessari Title: Kiss, Hair, Hands Year: 1986 Medium: Etching with aquatint on Rives B.F.K paper Sheet: 29 x 19 3/4 inches (73.7 x 50.2 cm) Edition: 35; signed, numbere...
Etching, Aquatint
John Baldessari, Hand and Chin (with Entwined Hands) - Signed Print
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Hand and Chin (With Entwined Hands), 1991 Medium: Photogravure with color spit bite aquatint on Somerset Dimensions: 83,5 x 56,5cm (33 x 22 in) ...
Paper, Aquatint, Photogravure
$1,831Sale Price|20% Off
John Baldessari, Give me a B, give me an A ...& etc. Art, Limited Edition, Print
By John Baldessari
Located in Zug, CH
John Baldessari Give me a B, give me an A ...& etc. 2009 Pigment Print 250 × 32 cm (98.4 × 12.6 in), unframed Signed and numbered on adhesive label Edition of 75 In excellent conditi...
Pigment
$6,585
Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads / Figure with Globe -- Print by Baldessari
By John Baldessari
Located in London, GB
Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads / Figure with Globe, 2009 John Baldessari Screenprint in colours, on Fabriano paper Signed, dated, and numbered from the edition of 70 Printed a...
Screen
SCARCE limited edition Spanish/English protest poster, Signed by John Baldessari
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
John Baldessari Flowers of Life for Central America/Flores de Vida por Centro America (Hand Signed), 1984 Rare Offset Lithograph (Hand signed by Baldessari) 24 3/5 × 18 inches Boldly...
Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset
$27,500
Two Figures: One Leaping, One Reacting, 2005 Lithograph by John Baldessari
By John Baldessari
Located in Miami, FL
John Baldessari (June 17, 1931 - January 2, 2020, American) Two Figures: One Leaping, One Reacting 2005 Photolithograph and lithograph with embossing and debossing on wove paper 22 1...
Mixed Media, Lithograph
John Baldessari, Zorro (Two Gestures and One Mark) - Hand-Signed Print
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Zorro (Two Gestures and One Mark), 1998 Medium: Offset lithograph and screenprint on Arches paper, and flip book Dimensions: 25.4 x 20.3 cm (10 ...
Paper, Offset, Screen
The First $100.000 I Ever Made
By John Baldessari
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: John Baldessari Title: The First $100,000 I Ever Made Year: 2012 Medium: Pigment ink on Niyodo paper, chine-colle and lithography on Coventry rag paper Sheet: 24 × 40 in (61 ...
Lithograph
Two Figures (One with Shadow)
By John Baldessari
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: John Baldessari Title: Two Figures (One with Shadow) Year: 1986 Medium: Etching with aquatint on Rives B.F.K paper Sheet: 20 1/2 x 20 inches (52.07 x 50.8 cm) Edition: 35; si...
Etching, Aquatint
John Baldessari, Belch (from Engraving with Sounds)
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Belch (from the Engraving with Sounds series), 2015 Medium: Archival inkjet print on paper Dimensions: 36.8 x 30.5 cm Edition of 25: Monogrammed...
Paper, Archival Ink
$14,625
Untitled, from 8 Plants x 6 = 48, Set of 2 Unique Screen Prints, Signed, 1998
By John Baldessari
Located in Aventura, FL
From 8 Plants x 6 = 48 series. Unique color inkjet print variants on Hewlett Packard Satin-Gloss photo paper. Each is hand signed and dated by the artist. Sheet size 11 x 8.5 inches...
Paper, Screen
John Baldessari - Man With Snake, Pop Art, Conceptual Art, Signed Print
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Man with Snake (Blue and Yellow), 1990 Medium: Lithograph in colors, on wove paper Dimensions: 45.7 x 35.5 cm (18 x 14 in) Edition of 170: Hand-...
Lithograph
$22,000
Hero, 2017 Screenprint in Colors on Archival Pigment Print by John Baldessari
By John Baldessari
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: John Baldessari Hero 2017 Screenprint in colors on archival pigment print 30 x 22 in. Edition of 56/65 Pencil signed and numbered Condition: This work is in ...
Archival Pigment, Screen
$4,932
John Baldessari, Two Bags and Envelope Holder - Conceptual Art, Signed Print
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, born 1931) Two Bags and Envelope Holder, 2011 Medium: Archival inkjet print Dimensions: 61 x 45.8 cm Edition of 40: Hand-signed and numbered Condition: Exc...
Inkjet
$6,585
Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads / Figure with Globe -- Print by Baldessari
By John Baldessari
Located in London, GB
Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads / Figure with Globe, 2009 John Baldessari Screenprint in colours, on Fabriano paper Signed, dated, and numbered from the edition of 70 Printed a...
Screen
Price Upon Request
Karl Lagerfeld
By John Baldessari
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 2015, this color screenprint is hand signed by John Baldessari (National City, 1931- Los Angeles, 2020) in pencil in the lower right margin and is from the edition of 50. ...
Screen
$600
H 15 in W 15 in
"Beam of Wind" 2004 signed original engraving limited edition 15x15in Mexican
Located in Miami, FL
Francisco Castro Leñero (Mexico, 1954) "Haz del Viento / Bco / Azul/" from serie "El exilio de los sentidos", 2004 Engraving, aquatint on paper...
Paper, Engraving, Ink, Etching, Aquatint
$2,900
H 32 in W 26 in
"Requiem/Let Them Be, " Etching and Aquatint signed by Joan Snyder
By Joan Snyder
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Requiem" is an original etching and aquatint by Joan Snyder. The artist signed the piece, and the edition is of 120. This piece features abstract, expressionist text and an striking portrait of a woman with red lipstick on a pink background. 25 5/8" x 20" art 32" x 26" frame Joan Snyder was born on April 16, 1940, in Highland Park, New Jersey. She received her AB from Douglass College in New Brunswick, New Jersey (1962), and an MFA from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey (1966). She was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (1974) and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship (1983). Snyder lives in Brooklyn and Woodstock, New York. Although Snyder’s paintings are often placed under various art-movement umbrellas—Abstract...
Etching, Aquatint
$1,150
H 8.75 in W 5.75 in
Basquiat at Vrej Baghoomian gallery 1989 (Basquiat Red Warrior announcement)
By Jean-Michel Basquiat
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Basquiat: Vrej Baghoomian gallery New York, 1989: Vintage original folding announcement card to Jean-Michel Basquiat at Vrej Baghoomian Gallery New York: 10/21 to 11/25, 1989. Pictured on front side is an image of Basquiat's iconic, 'Red Warrior.' A rare, highly collectible Basquiat ephemera piece that works well in any collection. Off-set printed gallery announcement. 8.75 x 5.75 inches (folded closed). Light signs of handling; otherwise very good overall vintage condition. Published by Vrej Baghoomian Gallery, New York, 1989. Unsigned from an edition of unknown. Scarce. Jean-Michel Basquiat rose to success during the 1980s. Basquiat’s paintings are largely responsible for elevating graffiti artists into the realm of the New York gallery scene. His spray-painted crowns and scribbled words referenced everything from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, to political issues, pop-culture icons, and Biblical verse. The gestural marks and expressive nature of his work not only aligned him with the street art of Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf, but also the Neo-Expressionists Julian Schnabel and David Salle. “If you wanna talk about influence, man, then you've got to realize that influence is not influence,” he said of his process. After quickly rising to fame in the early 1980s, Basquiat was befriended by many celebrities and artists, including Andy Warhol, with whom he made several collaborative works. At only 27, his troubles with fame and drug addiction led to his tragic death from a heroin overdose on August 12, 1988 in New York, NY. The Whitney Museum of American Art held the artist’s first retrospective from October 1992 to February 1993. Related Categories: Basquiat Tony Shafrazi. Basquiat ephemera. Basquiat poster. Basquiat prints...
Lithograph, Offset
Keith Haring Paul Maenz 1984 (announcement)
By Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Galerie Paul Maenz, Cologne, Germany 1984: Super rare, tri-fold poster booklet published to announce Haring’s 1984 solo exhibition at Paul Maenz Gallery in Cologne (Hari...
Lithograph, Offset
French Abstract Surrealist Color Lithograph Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Surfside, FL
Published Benincasa Carmine. Edizioni SEAT, Torino, Italy. Offset directly from the original plates. Limited edition. This is not hand signed or numbered. Signature in the printing p...
Lithograph, Offset
French Abstract Surrealist Color Lithograph Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Surfside, FL
Published Benincasa Carmine. Edizioni SEAT, Torino, Italy. Offset directly from the original plates. Limited edition. This is not hand signed or numbered. Signature in the printing p...
Lithograph, Offset
French Abstract Surrealist Color Lithograph Andre Masson
By André Masson
Located in Surfside, FL
Published Benincasa Carmine. Edizioni SEAT, Torino, Italy. Offset directly from the original plates. Limited edition. This is not hand signed or numbered. Signature in the printing p...
Lithograph, Offset
$6,375
H 41 in W 29.5 in
Poise, Lithograph Print, Hand Signed, Edition 27/48, 41 x 29.5 in, 1991
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Offset lithograph in colors. Hand signed, dated and numbered by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. Edition of 48. All reasonable off...
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
John Baldessari Sonnabend Gallery 1981 (announcement)
By John Baldessari
Located in NEW YORK, NY
John Baldessari, Sonnabend Gallery New York 1981: Rare early 1980s John Baldessari exhibition announcement published on the occasion of: "Shape Derived from Subject (Snake): Used as ...
Lithograph, Offset
Untitled
By Jasper Johns
Located in New York, NY
Jasper Johns Untitled 2010 Intaglio on Revere Standard White 19 x 21 1/2 inches 48 x 55 cm Edition of 50 Signed, dated, and numbered in graphite (lower recto) Frame available upon request Available from Matthew Marks Gallery...
Intaglio, Etching
$500
H 19.5 in W 15 in
"Nymph and Faun" 2003 Last Mexican Muralist Artist original first print proof
By Raul Anguiano
Located in Miami, FL
Raul Anguiano (Mexico, 1915-2006) 'Ninfa y fauno', 2003 sugarlift on paper 19.3 x 15 in. (49 x 38 cm.) ID: ANG-107 Hand-signed by author
Paper, Ink, Etching, Aquatint
Alexander Calder lithograph (derrière le miroir)
By Alexander Calder
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Alexander Calder Lithograph c. 1967 from Derrière le miroir: Lithograph in colors; 15 x 11 inches. Very good overall vintage condition; well-preseved. Unsigned from an edition of u...
Lithograph, Offset
Visionaire 64 Art Portfolio (Green)
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
The case converts into a horizontal or vertical display using the built-in foldout stand. The Green edition features Gisele Bundchen, Maurizio Cattelan, Drake, Julianne Moore, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Cunningham & Antonio Lopez, Neil Patrick Harris, John Waters, Lionel Messi...
Lithograph, Screen
Visionaire 64 Art Portfolio (Blue)
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
The case converts into a horizontal or vertical display using the built-in foldout stand. The Blue edition features Lupita Nyong‚ Äôo, Ai Weiwei, Kate Upton, Dustin Hoffman, Psy, Kirsten Dunst...
Lithograph, Screen
Visionaire 64 Art Portfolio (Red)
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
The case converts into a horizontal or vertical display using the built-in foldout stand. The Red edition features James Franco, Miley Cyrus, Marina Abram...
Lithograph, Screen
Sold
H 27.01 in W 27.01 in
Cactus, from "Third Street, Santa Monica", Contemporary Art, Concept Art
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, born 1931) Cactus (#4 from "Third Street, Santa Monica"), 2000 Medium: Color lithograph Dimensions: 68.6 x 68.6 cm Edition of 61: Hand signed and numbered ...
Lithograph
Studio
By John Baldessari
Located in Missouri, MO
*THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL EDITION AS ONLY 2 PRINTER'S PROOFS WERE CREATED! John Baldesari Studio, 1988 Printer's Proof (OF 2); aside from the edition was 150 plus 20 artist's proofs C...
Lithograph, Screen
Hegel's Cellar Portfolio 5
By John Baldessari
Located in Kansas City, MO
Artist: John Baldessari Medium: Etching Edition: 35 Size: 26.5 x 19.5" Year: 1986 *professionally framed behind museum glass
Etching
Hegel's Cellar Portfolio 1
By John Baldessari
Located in Kansas City, MO
Artist: John Baldessari Medium: Etching Edition: 35 Size: 19.5 x 26.5" Year: 1986 *professionally framed behind museum glass
Etching
Sold
H 42 in W 16.5 in
FOUR HANDS AND A BASEBALL BAT, inkjet print, signed and numbered, Ed. of 45
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
One archival inkjet print on Canson Infinity paper, 2015, initialed in black felt-tip pen, dated and numbered from the edition of 45. Sheet size: 1066 by 420 mm, 42 by 16 1/2 inches ...
Inkjet
Studio
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
It is hard to characterize John Baldessari’s varied practice—which includes photomontage, artist’s books, prints, paintings, film, performance, and installation—except through his ap...
Lithograph
One Face (Three Versions) with Nose, Ear and Glasses
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
John Baldessari One Face (Three Versions) with Nose, Ear and Glasses, 2007 5 layer, 26 color screenprint mounted to Sintra 30 x 72 inches Edition of 45
Archival Ink