john baldessari: the giacometti variations

‘the giacometti variations’ by american conceptual artist john baldessari is an original installation made to be featured at the prada foundation in milan, italy. as the name of the project states, baldessari took influence from the imagery projected by the swiss sculptor, alberto giacometti, and has created nine, oversized female figures stretched to an extremely slender form.  the 4.5 meter tall sculptures, made out of resin and steel then sprayed with bronze, were clothed in garments and objects also designed by baldessari. the result is an immobile, snapshot of a fashion show, integrating the ideas of art and fashion on a dramatic, larger-than-life scale.

exhibited sculptures
images © designboom

between the columns and under the exposed arches of the space at the prada foundation, the figures are dressed in looks are grounded in archetypes found in the interrelationship between film and fashion, such as the hot-pink bow in duchess satin (an ironic revisiting of the 1950s hollywood glamour of marilyn monroe), dorothy’s ruby slippers in ‘the wizard of oz’, and humphrey bogart’s trench coat in ‘casablanca’.

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi

‘the giacometti variations’ by john baldessari, 2010
courtesy of the artist and fondazione prada
photo by roberto marossi