"The Story Underneath" series by John Baldessari offers a profound insight into the creative process of this celebrated conceptual artist, showcasing his innovative approach to artmaking that blurs the lines between various mediums and explores the narrative power of images. This exhibition, as presented at Sprüth Magers, features a collection of over 75 works, including collages, photographs, film stills, and drawings spanning from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. These works, many of which are preparatory maquettes or sketches for larger pieces, reveal the original sources of Baldessari's art, such as film stills, lobby cards, and found photographs, highlighting his methods of selection, extraction, reassembly, and combination of elements to create new meanings (Sprüth Magers).
Baldessari's maquettes are not just preliminary works but are considered complete artworks in their own right, reflecting his anticipation of contemporary image manipulation techniques. These pieces demonstrate Baldessari's signature approach of juxtaposing and combining images and words, often resulting in works that challenge traditional narratives and invite viewers to explore the marginal, overlooked aspects of images (Sprüth Magers).
The exhibition provides a window into Baldessari's exploration of the conceptual and narrative potential of images. His work often involved manipulating images collected from various sources—lobby cards, film stills, found photographs—through removal, assemblage, and painting, thus transforming them into new narratives that question the power and truthfulness of photography. For example, his Untitled (Maquette) from 1989 and Two People (Side View) with Art (Maquette) from 1990 exemplify his method of recontextualizing images to create new, cohesive meanings. By altering these images, Baldessari elevates mundane objects to the status of high art, using his unique perspective to challenge the viewer's understanding of narrative and identity within a photograph (Musée Magazine).
Baldessari's approach to art was heavily influenced by his conceptual art background, focusing on the marginal aspects of photographs—those elements that are usually seen "out of the corner of your eye." This method allowed him to foreground background imagery and question the authenticity and interpretation of photographic images. His work, such as Two People (Front View) and Helicopter from 1990, directs attention away from the central figures to the surroundings, thus shifting the narrative focus and inviting the viewer to engage in a reinterpretation of the image's narrative. Through these manipulations, Baldessari not only questioned the truthfulness of photography but also invited viewers to project their own narratives onto the scenes, further exploring the ambiguity and potential of photographic imagery (Musée Magazine).
"The Story Underneath" thus stands as a testament to John Baldessari's innovative and influential practice, which has significantly contributed to the conceptual art movement and continues to inspire discussions about the nature of art, photography, and narrative. This exhibition not only celebrates Baldessari's career but also offers viewers a unique opportunity to delve into the artist's creative process and explore the depth and complexity of his work.