John Baldessari's Brain/Cloud (Two Views): with Palm Tree and Seascape is a monumental sculptural installation that intricately blends the realms of painting, sculpture, and video art. Showcased at Marian Goodman Gallery in London from November 8, 2018, to January 12, 2019, this work was the first presentation of the piece since Baldessari's major 2010 traveling retrospective Pure Beauty, which had premiered at Tate Modern in 2009. The installation features an enormous wall-mounted sculpture of a cerebral cortex crafted from painted polyurethane, accompanied by two inkjet prints of a seascape—one foregrounded by a palm tree—and a time-delayed video that projects viewers looking at the sculpture, creating a reflective loop where the audience becomes part of the art itself (Marian Goodman) (GalleriesNow.net).
Baldessari's work often engages with the interplay between image and text, exploring the conceptual and visual relationships that arise from their interaction. Brain/Cloud extends this exploration by juxtaposing the organic form of the human brain with the abstract form of a cloud, linking the physicality of the brain with the ethereal nature of cloud formations. This comparison serves as a metaphor for the processes of thought and the fleeting, formless nature of ideas and consciousness. The inclusion of natural elements, like the palm tree and seascape, further complicates the viewer's perception, inviting contemplation on the relationship between the human mind, nature, and the ways we perceive and interpret the world around us (Artlyst) (GalleriesNow.net).
The time-delayed video element of the installation adds another layer of complexity, integrating the viewers into the artwork and prompting them to consider their role as both observers and participants in the creation of meaning. This reflective mechanism, where viewers see themselves as part of the artwork, encourages a meditative engagement with the piece, challenging them to reflect on their own cognitive processes and the transient nature of thought and perception.
Baldessari's Brain/Cloud is not only a continuation of his lifelong fascination with the interplay between visual images and textual elements but also an evolution of his interest in isolating and abstracting body parts, a theme that has recurred throughout his career since the 1960s. By directly comparing the shape of the human brain to that of a cloud, Baldessari invites viewers to contemplate the abstract and often intangible nature of human cognition, memory, and imagination (Marian Goodman) (GalleriesNow.net) (Artlyst).