"No More Boring Art: John Baldessari's crusade" by Calvin Tomkins 2010

John Baldessari is a provocative conceptual artist whose most recent retrospective was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Baldessari made abstract expressionist paintings early on in his career but soon switched to more conceptual art incorporating photographs and printed words.  In his work, the idea is more important than the image and his art is about leaving things out so that the viewer can fill them in.  In addition to being an influential conceptual artist, Baldessari was a well-respected teacher.  He worked at various schools, including CalArts right after it opened, and influenced many students.  Some believe that his role as a teacher was more important than his art.  Baldessari was married and had two children, but the marriage didn't last.  His wife felt he was too focused on his work and his teaching to really have time to contribute to a marriage/family.  Some have criticized Baldessari's work for being to silly/funny and not serious enough.  Others seem to only see pretension and little talent in much of conceptual art.  Baldessari's response was, "If I were trying to be funny, I wouldn't be doing this" (48).  Through his art, he wants to make people stop, stare, and try to understand.    

John Baldessari, "Semi-Close-Up of Girl by Geranium (Soft View), 1966-8