John Baldessari’s Final Body of Work Is on View at Sprüth Magers LA

Entitled “The Space Between.”

Art
3,449 Hypes 0 Comments

Sprüth Magers Los Angeles is showcasing the final body of work created by the legendary artist John Baldessari, who passed away in 2020. Entitled “The Space Between,” the 30 works on display seem simplistic at first glance, but upon closer inspection, begin to open a range of dialogue that invites the viewer to question the ways in which we prescribe meaning to the multitude of visual lexicon that dominate our everyday lives.

A master of semiotics, Baldessari’s last set of works were made using inkjet prints on canvases — which emblematic to the artist’s oeuvre — were intricately recomposed using white and black acrylic paint. In The Space Between Two Cowboys, a pair of smiling men, who seemingly appear to be cowboys, are stripped of the surrounding space or cultural context in which we ascribe them meaning. The artist once told Art21 in a 2009 interview, “When you’re looking at two things, don’t look at them, look between them…The space between two things, that’s very important.”

As you walk around the gallery, the works increasingly become more abstract — where instead of a cowboy, truck or woman — the art and its corresponding descriptor shifts from one meaning to the other. For example, in The Space Between Woman and Man or The Space Between Banana and Hand, Baldessari flips the script — instead of painting out the surrounding print, he paints in the object or person in the description, sometimes using imagery that are completely unrelated to the caption. As you look closer, from foreground to background, you begin to wonder what the original image was to begin with. “Baldessari himself occupied a “space between” — working between painting and photography, art and other disciplines — that can never be filled,” the gallery said in a statement.

A close colleague of Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers for over three decades, it is only fitting that Baldessari, one of the 20th and 21st Centuries greatest artists, has his final body of work in his hometown of LA. John Baldessari’s “The Space Between” is on view at Sprüth Magers until September 11.

Also happening in art, Gaku Inada has created a series of artworks on display at Nepenthes NYC.

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

Erykah Badu Announces Hollywood Bowl Concert With Steve Lacy and Dos Negros
Music

Erykah Badu Announces Hollywood Bowl Concert With Steve Lacy and Dos Negros

Taking place this October.

Philadelphia 76ers Sign Joel Embiid to Four-Year $196 Million USD Supermax Extension
Sports

Philadelphia 76ers Sign Joel Embiid to Four-Year $196 Million USD Supermax Extension

The deal takes Embiid through to 2026-27.

Taco Bell Taps TRUFF to Heat up Its Nacho Fries
Food & Beverage

Taco Bell Taps TRUFF to Heat up Its Nacho Fries

Introducing Loaded TRUFF Nacho Fries and the Loaded TRUFF Fries Burrito.

Re-Established Dogecoin Foundation Adds Ethereum Founder, Elon Musk Rep to Its Advisory Board
Tech & Gadgets 

Re-Established Dogecoin Foundation Adds Ethereum Founder, Elon Musk Rep to Its Advisory Board

Creating a manifesto that embodies the motto of ‘Do Only Good Everyday.’

‘Fornite’ Introduces Imposter Mode, Its Take On ‘Among Us’
Gaming

‘Fornite’ Introduces Imposter Mode, Its Take On ‘Among Us’

Can you spot the fake?


Squeak Pivot Dead at 26 Years Old
Music

Squeak Pivot Dead at 26 Years Old

The artist served as an in-house producer for Pivot Gang.

Scuf Releases First Wireless Performance Controller for Xbox Series X|S
Gaming

Scuf Releases First Wireless Performance Controller for Xbox Series X|S

Offering faster performance and more customization.

Gaku Inada Brings His Collage Aesthetic to Nepenthes NYC
Art

Gaku Inada Brings His Collage Aesthetic to Nepenthes NYC

A series of silkscreened banners reflecting the artist’s wide-ranging interests.

Awkwafina on Gaming, Making a Marvel Movie and Her Trove of Unreleased Rap Music
Entertainment

Awkwafina on Gaming, Making a Marvel Movie and Her Trove of Unreleased Rap Music

The comedian-actress-rapper spoke to HYPEBEAST about her flourishing film career and season two of ‘Nora From Queens.’

Written Language Is the Focus of a New Exhibition at Basel’s VITRINE Gallery
Art

Written Language Is the Focus of a New Exhibition at Basel’s VITRINE Gallery

On view until September 5.

More ▾
 
We got you covered. Don’t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.