News about John Baldessari
Has any artist deliberately destroyed their own works?
www.dailymail.co.uk,
January 11, 2024
This activity is rooted in several motivations, including creativity, dissatisfaction, or the desire to monitor one's artistic legacy. Famous artists such as Michelangelo, Claude Monet, John Baldessari, Agnes Martin, Georgia O'Keeffe, Francis Bacon, and Banksy have left their mark not only through creation but also through intentional destruction. An early example dates back to the 16th century, when Michelangelo partially defaced a marble Pietà . He hammered Christ's left leg and arm, burning them. The motivations behind this act are skeptic, with accusations ranging from fear of being exposed as a Protestant sympathiser during the Inquisition to skepticism over the marble's quality. Nonetheless, Michelangelo's impulsive impulse became a symbolic act, exemplifying the complicated relationship between artists and their creations.