John Baldessari

a unique object, signed, dated, inscribed 'For Lucio Amelio' in ink and with palm trees and birds in flight in graphite on the image, 1975

The photographer to Italian gallerist Lucio Amelio, 1975

Galleria Lucio Amelio, Naples

Private collection, 1989

Sotheby's New York, 16 May 2001, Sale 7656, Lot 414

Patrick Pardo and Robert Dean, John Baldessari: Catalogue Raisonné, Volume Two, 1975-1986 (Marian Goodman and Yale University Press, 2013), 1975.102 (this print)

This slightly warm-toned print is trimmed to the image and is on double-weight paper with a slight surface sheen. It is in generally excellent condition. The three palm trees and birds flying around them have been rendered in ink, graphite and possibly gouache. When examined in raking light, slight waviness in the paper is evident.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the mid-1970s, John Baldessari used photographs—his own and those appropriated from a variety of sources—as the basis for much of his work.  The present image relates to two series: Pathetic Fallacy and Embed, from 1974-75.

Pathetic Fallacy: Sinful Bird, of 1975, incorporates the same pigeon image in the work offered here, sans the addition of palm trees.  In his statement regarding Pathetic Fallacy, Baldessari attributes the term to John Ruskin, defined as human feelings ascribed to inanimate objects. Palm trees—a recurring feature in Baldessari's body of work and a component of this print as well—are also present in 1974’s Embed Series: Oiled Arm (Sinking Boat and Palms).  He writes about the Embed series,

‘The series deals with the embedding of words, numbers, or images within a photographic image.  A variety of means were employed (airbrushing, brush, double exposure, etc.) and various levels of visibility were explored, from obvious to nearly invisible.  At best, this embedded information can possibly be perceived on a subliminal level rather than a conscious one . . . Another motivation was to test the idea of subliminal motivation.  Can I really get one to believe the messages I have hidden about imagining, dreaming, fantasies, wish, and hope?’ (Catalogue Raisonné, Volume One, p. 378)