John Baldessari: The Story Underneath

Known for his large-scale works built from existing and appropriated imagery and words, the late artist John Baldessari’s creative process began with preparatory works taking the form of small maquettes, which often revealed the original source materials along with markings, cut-outs, and scribbles that were of the artist’s own hand. Presented by Sprüth Magers in New York, around 60 of the artist’s rarely- and never-before-seen maquettes make up the exhibition “The Story Underneath,” which is open from September 9 to October 29. Made between the 1980s—2000s, the maquettes (which Baldessari also considered to be artworks in themselves) demonstrate how the imagery prominent in the visual language of contemporary society can be deconstructed or obscured by changing context and combining other materials.