A major figure in contemporary art, John Baldessari is widely considered one of the most influential artists to emerge since the mid-1960s. From his text-and-image paintings of the 1960s to his more recent photo collages and installations, Baldessari has continued to make art that addresses the social and cultural impact of mass culture, often playfully through strategies of appropriation and deconstruction. Baldessari's lifelong interest in language, written and visual, and the interaction between the two, raises questions about the nature of communication and perception. More than 150 of Baldessari's works are presented in full colour in this monograph published in conjunction with a major exhibition at Tate Modern and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Eleven essays by critics, curators, art historians and former students round off this volume. Few contemporary artists have achieved the range and relevance of Baldessari's oeuvre, which is finally given its due in this beautiful and elegant volume.
