John Baldessari

The First Room
1993

The image shows a conceptual artwork consisting of text and a series of black and white photographs. The text at the top reads, "MY MIND IS A CAMERA AND THOUGHTS ARE LIKE FURNITURE." Below, it states, "VARIOUS QUALITIES THAT MAKE UP THE IMAGE OF AN ARTIST TODAY; SIX ROOMFULS OF UNARRANGED FURNITURE." To the right, the text "THE FIRST ROOM:" is followed by three photographs, each with a caption underneath. The captions read "REALISTIC," "CONSTRUCTIVE/DESTRUCTIVE," and "AT A V I S T I C," respectively. The photographs depict scenes that appear to be related to the artistic process or concepts, with the middle photo showing a hand holding a brush or tool near a canvas. The overall layout is clean and minimalistic, with plenty of white space around the text and images.
The image shows a conceptual artwork consisting of text and a series of black and white photographs. The text at the top reads, "MY MIND IS A CAMERA AND THOUGHTS ARE LIKE FURNITURE." Below, it states, "VARIOUS QUALITIES THAT MAKE UP THE IMAGE OF AN ARTIST TODAY; SIX ROOMFULS OF UNARRANGED FURNITURE." To the right, the text "THE FIRST ROOM:" is followed by three photographs, each with a caption underneath. The captions read "REALISTIC," "CONSTRUCTIVE/DESTRUCTIVE," and "AT A V I S T I C," respectively. The photographs depict scenes that appear to be related to the artistic process or concepts, with the middle photo showing a hand holding a brush or tool near a canvas. The overall layout is clean and minimalistic, with plenty of white space around the text and images.

Not on view

Date
1993

Classification
Prints

Medium
Photolithograph and lithograph

Dimensions
Sheet: 21 × 17 1/8in. (53.3 × 43.5 cm) Image: 7 5/8 × 15 1/8in. (19.4 × 38.4 cm)

Accession number
2000.93.1

Edition
8/150

Publication
Printed by Derrière l'Étoile Studios; published by Brooke Alexander Editions

Credit line
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Eileen and Peter Norton

Rights and reproductions
© John Baldessari
Permission courtesy of the artist

API
artworks/25856

Part of a series:

Six Rooms

6 works

A collage of black and white photographs with captions, titled "THE FIFTH ROOM". The images depict various scenes: the first shows two people sitting amidst a vast field of debris, labeled "GLOBAL"; the second is a man in distress, captioned "OCCASIONALLY MAD"; the third shows a bridge with the text "COULD BE BRIDGE"; the fourth captures a moment of celebration or protest with raised arms, titled "NEEDS ACCLAIM"; the fifth features a man holding a sign, described as "PROUD"; and the last image is of a person in a space suit, with the phrase "CONTROLS SUITS FRIENDLY TO ID" beneath it. The overall layout suggests a thematic or narrative sequence.
The image shows a conceptual artwork consisting of text and a series of black and white photographs. The text at the top reads, "MY MIND IS A CAMERA AND THOUGHTS ARE LIKE FURNITURE." Below, it states, "VARIOUS QUALITIES THAT MAKE UP THE IMAGE OF AN ARTIST TODAY; SIX ROOMFULS OF UNARRANGED FURNITURE." To the right, the text "THE FIRST ROOM:" is followed by three photographs, each with a caption underneath. The captions read "REALISTIC," "CONSTRUCTIVE/DESTRUCTIVE," and "AT A V I S T I C," respectively. The photographs depict scenes that appear to be related to the artistic process or concepts, with the middle photo showing a hand holding a brush or tool near a canvas. The overall layout is clean and minimalistic, with plenty of white space around the text and images.
A collage of black and white images with captions, featuring various scenes including a person feeding a bird, another person working at a desk, a person with their head submerged in water, a close-up of hands performing a task, and two individuals in a natural setting. Each image is accompanied by text that seems to provide a conceptual or metaphorical commentary, such as "THE FOURTH ROOM," "FRANK IN OPINIONS," "SPELL BINDING," "KILLER INSTINCT," "BITES HAND THAT FEEDS," "KNOWS SECRETS," and "OFTEN CASTRATES PHALLIC INSTINCTS." The overall layout is on a white background with ample negative space around the images.
A collage of black and white photographs with captions, featuring various subjects including a person breaking a spell, a rock formation described as containing hidden truths, a woman labeled as concerned with desire, a person described as ruthless if necessary, another showing an understanding of timing, and a final image captioned with the word "Promethean." The title "THE SECOND ROOM:" is typed at the top center.
A conceptual artwork featuring a collection of black and white photographs with captions. The title "THE SIXTH ROOM" is at the top. Each photo is paired with a descriptive word or phrase: "NEEDS CHAOS" shows a person amidst a water spray, "NOT AVERAGE" depicts two men conversing, "TENACIOUS" captures a person lying on the ground, "MANIPULATIVE" shows a person with a geometric overlay, "AVOIDS SEXUAL CLICHES" is a close-up of a mouth, and "WATCHFUL" features a bird. The piece is numbered 8/150 and signed "BALDESSARI."
A collage of black and white images with captions, including a person at a podium labeled "HAS GOAL," a hand holding a test tube "RELENTLESSLY CURIOUS," a close-up of a reptile head "RECOGNIZES ANIMAL NATURE," a person with arms raised "SACRIFICIAL," hands behind bars "CAN'T BE TRAPPED," and a bird in a cage "DUAL NATURE UNIFIED." The top of the page reads "THE THIRD ROOM."

John Baldessari
40 works in the collection

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