John Baldessari

Blue Boy (with Yellow Boy: One with Hawaiian Tie, One in Dark)
1989

A graphic artwork featuring two figures dressed in plaid suits, one on a white background with a blue circle obscuring the face, and the other on a black background with a yellow circle where the face should be. The style is reminiscent of pop art, with a stark contrast between the two halves of the image.
A graphic artwork featuring two figures dressed in plaid suits, one on a white background with a blue circle obscuring the face, and the other on a black background with a yellow circle where the face should be. The style is reminiscent of pop art, with a stark contrast between the two halves of the image.

Not on view

Date
1989

Classification
Prints

Medium
Photogravure and aquatint, hand-cut and mounted on plastic film

Dimensions
Sheet: 19 1/4 × 23 1/8in. (48.9 × 58.7 cm) Image: 12 1/8 × 14in. (30.8 × 35.6 cm) Mount: 19 15/16 × 24in. (50.6 × 61 cm)

Accession number
92.38.2

Edition
12/50 | 15 APs

Publication
Printed by Patricia Branstead, New York; published by Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS

Credit line
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz

Rights and reproductions
© John Baldessari
Permission courtesy of the artist

API
artworks/8038

Part of a series:

The Indomitable Spirit

11 works

A monochromatic artwork featuring abstract shapes and lines with a signature and edition number at the bottom. The central image appears to be a collage or layered composition with translucent elements and a network of intersecting white lines on a dark background. The piece is mounted on a white border.
A vintage photograph with a sepia tone shows two men shaking hands. The image is damaged, with the right side featuring a man whose body and face are obscured by red and orange textured marks, giving a ghostly appearance. The background depicts a faintly painted scene with trees and a bench. The photo has an irregular, arch-like top edge and is set against a white background.
A graphic artwork featuring two figures dressed in plaid suits, one on a white background with a blue circle obscuring the face, and the other on a black background with a yellow circle where the face should be. The style is reminiscent of pop art, with a stark contrast between the two halves of the image.
Two identical black and white photographs side by side, each depicting a sculpture of a seated human figure with an elongated form, perched atop a small, dark pedestal. The background is plain and the images are signed and dated at the bottom.
A close-up photograph of a sunflower with a dark center and vibrant yellow petals, framed against a blue background, with handwritten inscriptions along the bottom edge indicating the print number and the year 1987.
A staged photograph featuring an assortment of objects arranged in a surreal manner. A wooden shelf holds various items including a figurine, bottles, and a fluted column, with a disembodied hand reaching up from below. The scene is bathed in warm, reddish-orange light, casting dramatic shadows on the backdrop and creating an otherworldly atmosphere. The image is signed and numbered on the bottom edge.
A black and white photograph of a hand with fingers extended, touching the edge of a dark, textured surface that resembles a celestial body or a close-up of a mineral formation. The image is centered on a white background with handwritten inscriptions at the bottom.
Poster with "The Indomitable Spirit" at top, grid of emotions with corresponding images below, and "Photographers + Friends, United Against AIDS" at bottom.
A shadow of a person's silhouette projected onto a wall, creating an abstract and artistic black and white image.
A surreal artwork featuring a close-up of a woman's eye looking through a hole in a stack of what appears to be thin, circular ceramic or porcelain objects, possibly plates, held in a hand against a black background. The image has a warm, sepia-toned color palette.

John Baldessari
40 works in the collection

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