overview
If you’re unfamiliar with John Baldessari, that’s all about to change … and in less than six minutes’ time.
Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the co-directors of “Catfish” and “Paranormal Activity 3,” paint a portrait of the artist in “A Brief History of John Baldessari.” Narrator Tom Waits (Tom Waits!) guides you through a fascinating (and very, very funny) montage of the highlights of Baldessari’s life and career, both notable and trivial, from the mass burning (or “cremating,” rather) of all his paintings down to the name of his dog.
“I will not make any boring art” is the personal mantra and crusade of this revolutionary conceptual artist, known mostly for his work with found photography and appropriated images. This is certainly not a boring movie.