Very occasionally one will stagger across something brilliant online. The latest gem to hit the AnOther radar is a brilliant six-minute film entitled A Brief History of John Baldessari. Commissioned by LACMA last year the film was premiered at this year's SXSW and has since reached viral status online. Narrated by Tom Waits (as Baldessari says – "he's got a great voice"), the short was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.
Making use of Baldessari's iconic aesthetic, Waits takes the viewer on a journey through the artist's career, office and artwork including films, sculptures, paintings, photographs, billboards and credit cards. Alongside his accolades are fascinating shots of Baldessari's everyday life: his pencil, his desk, his coffee machine, his WIFI password and his library. Here are five fun facts from the film...
1. Baldessari carries nothing in his pockets.
2. Baldessari's studio door has two peepholes – regular height and Baldessari height (6"7).
3. Baldessari has a golden labrador called Giotto
4. Baldessari has a collection of film stills organised by subject.
5. Baldessari burned all of his works in 1970 and keeps the ashes in a book-shaped bronze urn.
Text by Laura Bradley
