John Baldessari: Fun (Part 1), 2013/2014

How does one describe the exuberance of simple pleasures? A poet once wrote, “Water’s water and that’s why it’s beautiful.” John Baldessari, in turn, gives the viewer of, Fun (Part 1), the image of people enjoying games around a swimming pool. The figures, engaged in the timeless pursuit of leisure, greet commuters as they traverse the highway. The cinematic image anticipates a future of swimming pools and basking in the sunlight, while simultaneously depicting the halcyon days of early Miami visible in the one-piece bathing suits and coifed hairstyles of the women at the pool. A high-heeled shoe peeks mischievously out of the upper right corner. You see Miami represented in a single shot. The retro image and beach ball placed prominently in the center of the still evoke moments in Baldessari’s illustrious career, spanning over 40 years at the forefront of “Post-Studio” (a term coined by the artist) or Conceptual Art.