More Thoughts on Appropriation - The Art of John Baldessari

As our class continues to explore the idea of appropriation in art, or rather appropriation art, we have turned our attention to the incredibly influential artist John Baldessari.  In an extended interview Baldessari gave he discussed the genesis of his style, saying that after years of documentary-style photography, he came to an epiphany.  He stated that he didn't see much of a point to creating new images/photographs, given that there were already so many of them out in the world.  He turned to the use of things such as movie and television stills, as well as other's photographs that he would sometimes fish out of garbage bins at photo processing plants.

 Above is a work entitled Rollercoaster (1989-90) by John Baldessari, and once again to copyright infringement is intended.  Part of a series of prints (an edition of 45), this work captures my attention and my imagination.  In some of Baldessari's more recent works (such as his overlap series) I believe that he has taken some photographs himself.  However, it is certainly possible and would even be typical if the image of the roller coaster above was not an image originally taken by Baldessari. 

I love the way Baldessari's adaptations and additions to the image of the roller coaster only seem to add to the piece's sense of form.  Rather than covering it up, and making the image more chaotic, the large black block and the curving lines of color work to reveal that shape of the familiar amusement park ride.  Indeed, it becomes something other than the ride we all know, with the interlacing lines of the coaster almost twisting themselves into the double helix of a DNA strand.  I do not know whether this was Baldessari's intent or not, but it is a shape I cannot quite ignore.  I am also very fond of the sense of movement that the piece has, even though the coaster is frozen in a snapshot of time.  Mixing black and white with such a bold red, and then a relatively cool-feeling green makes the piece truly stunning, and lends it visual power.

I have spoken about what I think of the piece, but I am not sure whether I am supposed to further address the idea of appropriation in the piece above.  As I mentioned, it is difficult to be sure whether the roller coaster image was taken by Baldessari or someone else. No matter which of these is the case, it is certainly true that Baldessari selected the image for his work, and I think that selection plays a very important role in art.  It does in anything, really.  What you choose to write about, drawing, paint, photograph, etc... It important to select what you need to impart the specific message you're trying to send out into the world.  By virtue of Baldessari's selection and adaptation of the roller coaster image, surely we can say that Baldessari created a piece that is uniquely his own - a product of his particular artistic vision.

-Kelly F.