Artist: John Baldessari

Baldessari takes things out of photographs by painting over them in order to create a new narrative. After thinking about what I could take out or add to my photographs in order to further m concept of isolation, John Baldessari seemed like an obvious example. I've loved his work for years. I've never directly tried to make work similar to Baldessari's, but I'm sure he has indirectly influenced me (until now). I'm going to start experimenting with taking large sections out of my photos, but in a different way, and with different meaning. Looking at Baldessari images was a good way to start my experimentation.

Biography: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/john-baldessari/
"John Baldessari is often irritated. He works in Los Angeles because it tends to piss him off. “It’s ugly here,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s not a city – just an area with no real culture.” Add traffic congestion, noise and smog to its confusing identity and it’s easy to understand Baldessari’s angst. But being uncomfortable in life seems to make John more comfortable in his own skin. “I could never work in cities that are too beautiful. Too much beauty diffuses me. It’s when I dislike my environment so much that I go inside myself and create my best work.” 
- From Artworks article (http://artworksmagazine.com/2009/10/the-sum-of-the-parts-equals-john-baldessari/)
"...by depriving people of what they really want to see, it frees them to change their priorities about what it truly means to understand something. It’s both a trick and a valuable service that has lived on in his work. “It’s a cat and mouse game where I give them clues,” Baldessari says. “It’s like a great detective story where the writer leads you to think you’ve got it all figured out, then, ‘Ah hah! No you haven’t!’ Or kind of like when a woman enjoys being flirtatious instead of saying yes on the first date.”
- From Artworks article (http://artworksmagazine.com/2009/10/the-sum-of-the-parts-equals-john-baldessari/)

Artist's website:
http://www.baldessari.org/

Interview:
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/john-baldessari/

Gallery:
http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibBaldessari.aspx