John Baldessari

John Baldessari is a conceptual artist who’s humorous and often satirical work challenges the norms of the art world. His interdisciplinary practice uses text, photography, painting, video, and sculpture. In 1975, Baldessari exhibited his video, The Italian Tape at The Kitchen. In this video he takes Italian phrases from a guidebook and writes them on a chalkboard along with their English translations while a cliché Italian song plays in the background. He then uses a mannequin to mimic the gestures the guidebook suggest to accompany the Italian phrase. For more information, visit http://www.baldessari.org/summary.htm.