Last updated: 27 October 2026
John Baldessari (1931 to 2020) was the Californian conceptual artist who mixed photographs, words and coloured dots to make art that was also a joke. Here you will find our take on his work, his recent shows and a signed print you can buy in London.
Our take on John Baldessari
Baldessari took photographs, film stills and text and rearranged them, often covering faces with flat coloured dots. “John was, above all, a storyteller,” says David Platzker, co-curator of his 2025 Brussels retrospective at Bozar.
His titles often did the work: I Am Making Art was one of the pieces in Pure Beauty, his retrospective at Tate Modern from 13 October 2009 to 10 January 2010.
Shows of his work continue to travel. A survey opened at the Pérez Art Museum Miami in August 2026, and UCCA in Beijing has one planned.
John Baldessari: the essentials
- Born in National City, California, in 1931; lived and worked in Venice, California; died in 2020, according to UCCA.
- Worked across photography, painting, film, text and prints.
- Tate Modern held John Baldessari: Pure Beauty from 13 October 2009 to 10 January 2010.
- Bozar in Brussels held Parables, Fables, and Other Tall Tales, the first major European show since his death, in 2025 to 2026.
John Baldessari exhibitions
- On now: John Baldessari: The End of the Line, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 20 August 2026 to 9 May 2027.
- Parables, Fables, and Other Tall Tales, Bozar, Brussels, 19 September 2025 to 1 February 2026.
- A survey at UCCA Beijing is listed as forthcoming, for 2027.
- John Baldessari: Pure Beauty, Tate Modern, London, 13 October 2009 to 10 January 2010.
Where to buy a John Baldessari print
One signed edition was on sale in London when we checked:
- Box, Hat, Frame and Chair, 2011, £1,475: archival inkjet print on Hot Press paper, 66 x 66 cm (26 x 26 in), edition of 60, signed and numbered, from the Whitechapel Gallery shop. That was a 50% sale price on £2,950, with three left.
John Baldessari FAQs
What is John Baldessari known for?
Conceptual art that combines photographs and text, often with faces covered by coloured dots.
Can I buy a John Baldessari print in the UK?
Yes. The Whitechapel Gallery shop had Box, Hat, Frame and Chair (2011), a signed edition of 60, when we checked.
Did Tate show John Baldessari?
Yes. Tate Modern held Pure Beauty from 13 October 2009 to 10 January 2010.
When did John Baldessari die?
In 2020. He was born in 1931 in National City, California.
More from CoolCuration
- Christine Kozlov at Raven Row review: another Conceptual artist of the same generation.
- Gifts for photo lovers: presents for people who take pictures.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
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Main image: John Baldessari in Venice, 2009. Photo: Frédéric de Goldschmidt, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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