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John Baldessari Abstract Prints

American, 1931-2020

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.

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Artist: John Baldessari
John Baldessari, Two Assemblages (with R, O, Y, G, B, V Opaque) - Signed Print
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Two Assemblages (with R, O, Y, G, B, V Opaque), 2003 Medium: Lithograph and screen print on vellum Dimensions: 61.6 x 91.5 cm Edition of 50: Han...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Screen

John Baldessari: Two Assemblages (with R, O, Y, G, B, V Transparent), Signed
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Two Assemblages (with R, O, Y, G, B, V Transparent), 2003 Medium: Lithograph and screen print on vellum Dimensions: 61.6 x 91.5 cm Edition of 50...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

John Baldessari, Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line (Best of Thirty-Six Attempts), 1973 Medium: Complete set of twelve offset lithographs i...
Category

20th Century Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Offset

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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Inkjet

John Baldessari, Give me a B, give me an A… - Signed Print, 10-Part Leporello
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Give me a B, give me an A …, 2009 Medium: 10-part leporello, digital pigment print, on photo rag paper Dimensions: 32 × 250 cm (12½ x 98½ in) Ed...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Digital Pigment

John Baldessari, Belch (from Engraving with Sounds), 2015, Signed Print
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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Archival Ink

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 ...
Category

20th Century Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Offset, Screen

Rarely seen limited edition Spanish/English protest poster, Signed by 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 signed in white sharpie by Baldessari lower front The regular, unsigned edition was only approx. 100, though the present work was, exceptionally, uniquely hand signed by the artist Extremely rare vintage political poster...
Category

1980s Conceptual John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Offset, Permanent Marker, Lithograph

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-...
Category

20th Century Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Two Screenprinted pillow cases (one hand signed by Baldessari) in bespoke box
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
John Baldessari Pillow Cases in Bespoke Presentation Box (one pillowcase hand signed by John Baldessari) for The Thing Quarterly Issue 22, 2014 Silkscreen on 100% cotton 320 thread count sateen pillowcases (Hand signed by John Baldessari) Boldly signed in ink by John Baldessari on one of the pillowcases (see photo) Unframed One of the pillowcases is hand signed in ink by John Baldessari: John Baldessari was one of the artists who were invited to contribute an object (or "thing") with text for a special project for "The Thing" publication (read on for more on "The Thing") ; the conceptual object therefore had to incorporate text. Baldessari's contribution in 2014 was a silkscreened pillowcase with text. A limited (unknown) number of these pillowcases were marketed and sold as a set of two in a bespoke box. However, exceptionally, Baldessari hand signed a very few of pillowcases in ink. This is one of the very special sets bearing one hand signed pillow case - purchased directly from "The Thing". (a copy of the 2014 receipt is shown here.) The rest of these boxed sets were not hand signed. The pillowcase is brand new, and will look gorgeous once pressed and framed by a professional framer. More about this boxed set: Issue 22 of THE THING Quarterly is by LA-based conceptual artist John Baldessari. It consists of two 100% cotton sateen pillowcases featuring an image of a woman clutching a pillow. The black and white image is taken from a Hollywood film still in Baldessari's collection and has been silkscreened on each pillowcase with environmentally-friendly, water-based ink. The pillowcases are standard-sized and envelope-style. For those who like their thread count high, the issue clocks in at a solid 320 thread count. Measurements: Box 10.5 inches by 13 inches by 2 inches Pillow 20 inches vertical by 26 inches What was The Thing Quarterly? THE THING was an experimental publication created in collaboration with Will Rogan as part of an artist residency. We saw it as a quarterly periodical in the form of an object. Each year, four artists, writers, musicians or filmmakers were invited to create an everyday object that somehow incorporates text. The object is reproduced and hand wrapped at wrapping parties and then mailed to the homes of the subscribers with the help of the United States Postal Service. It began as part of an artist residency in San Francisco’s Southern Exposure. Will and I had met in grad school at UC Berkeley and discovered our mutual affinity for quarterlies. He was a librarian at SFAI for five years and I had been a high school teacher for five years. WE were both interested pushing the boundaries of publication. Our plan was to create a 1 year publication with four artists, but from the very start the project generated so much interest and international excitement that we found ourselves running a publication complete with a brick and mortar storefront and a staff of four individuals. After 10 years, 34 issues, 59 projects and countless live events, we decided to end the publication in order to pursue our individual projects. We are still working together on a less ambitious new project, and hope to launch it at some point in 2021. CONTRIBUTORS: have included John Baldessari, Dave Eggers, Miranda July...
Category

2010s Conceptual John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Ink, Mixed Media, Cardboard, Fabric, Cotton, Screen

John Baldessari, Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line
By John Baldessari
Located in Hamburg, DE
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line (Best of Thirty-Six Attempts), 1973 Medium: Complete set of twelve offset lithographs i...
Category

20th Century Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Offset

Seeds
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
From Hegel’s Cellar portfolio, 1986. Loose, all signed and numbered on the reverse. There were also 10 artist's proofs), letterpress colophon and title page, published by Multiples, ...
Category

1980s John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Photogravure, Etching, Aquatint

The Sprinters, for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, with official COA
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 on the front. Accompanied by letter of authenticity from the publisher 36 x 24 inches Unframed Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from the publisher on Olympic Committee letterhead. This is one of 750 hand signed lithographic posters, published in 1982 to celebrate the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics . Even though the signed edition is 750, the publisher is said to have sold fewer than 200 and destroyed the rest; hence signed editions of this print are far more scarce than the edition suggests. The Olympic Committee commissioned 15 nationally known artists, including to create unique designs to promote the event. This was John Baldessari's contribution to the portfolio - cleverly juxtaposing a modern day race, with ancient images, tying old and new and honoring the ancient Olympic tradition. In 2017, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne Switzerland...
Category

1980s Conceptual John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

JBCRIAL1VY-98
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
John Baldessari JBCRIAL1VY-98 (Unique Variant, Hand Signed), 1998 Ink jet print on paper. Hand signed by John Baldessari on the front 1 of 96 similar works completed Frame included T...
Category

1990s Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Digital, Inkjet

Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads: Crooked Made Straight
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
9-color silkscreen print on plexiglass, 5 x 12” (12,5 x 31cm) Printed by Atelier für Siebdruck, Lorenz Boegli, Zurich Ed. 45/XX, signed and numbered certificate
Category

Early 2000s John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Double Motorcyclists and Landscape (Icelandic)
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph on Somerset white wove paper. Signed, dated and numbered 2/90 in pencil by Baldessari. Printed by Derriere L'Etoile Studios, New York....
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Object with Flaw
By John Baldessari
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this scarce color lithograph. It is signed and numbered in pencil by Baldessari. Printed by Cirrus Editions, Los Angeles. Published by Cirrus Editions, Los ...
Category

1980s John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Kiss, Hair, Hands (from Hegel's Cellar)
By John Baldessari
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Sugar-lift aquatint, spit-bite aquatint, photogravure and drypoint with embossing on Rives BFK paper Image: 28.5 x 19.5 in. (72.39 x 49.53 cm.) Sheet: 29 x 20 in. (73.66 x 50.8 cm.) ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary John Baldessari Abstract Prints

Materials

Aquatint

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John Baldessari abstract prints for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic John Baldessari abstract prints available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of abstract prints to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by John Baldessari in lithograph, offset print, screen print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large John Baldessari abstract prints, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Terry Winters, Barbara Takenaga, and Catherine Howe. John Baldessari abstract prints prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,090 and tops out at $14,268, while the average work can sell for $4,453.

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