“Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell” by John Baldessari (1931–2020)
John Baldessari, a pioneer of conceptual art in the United States, was born in 1931 and passed away in 2020. He studied at San Diego State University and earned his master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Baldessari is renowned for his work that combines photography, painting, and text to explore the relationships between image and meaning. Known for infusing irony and lightness into a movement often perceived as impenetrable, Baldessari skillfully subverted rules while maintaining his role as a serious artist.
Foto: Especial
His acrylic painting on canvas, created between 1966-1968 and titled “Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell,” is part of The Broad Art Foundation’s collection. This artwork presents ironic advice for artists aiming to sell their work, such as:
- “Generally, paintings with lighter colors sell faster than those with darker ones.”
- “Well-selling themes: Madonna with Child, landscapes, flower paintings, still lifes (free of morbid elements like dead birds), nudes, seascapes, abstractions, and surrealism”.
- “The theme is important: it’s said that paintings with cows and chickens gather dust, while the same paintings with bulls and roosters sell.”
Baldessari did not paint the work directly; instead, he commissioned sign painters to reproduce the text, challenging traditional notions of artistic authorship and production.
“The Studio” (Apple TV+, 2025): A Satirical Look at Hollywood
“The Studio” is a satirical series on Apple TV+ created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, and Alex Gregory. The show features a star-studded cast including Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, and Ike Barinholtz. The series mocks the inner workings of a Hollywood studio, with cameos from various industry figures and celebrities such as Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Zac Efron, Olivia Wilde, Zoë Kravitz, Ice Cube, Ron Howard, Dave Franco, Anthony Mackie, Quinta Brunson, Aaron Sorkin, Paul Dano, Steve Buscemi, Ramy Youssef, and Ted Sarandos, among others. These cameos reinforce the show’s ironic and self-referential tone.
In its first season, “The Studio” won 13 Emmy Awards in 2025, including Best Comedy Series, making it the most awarded comedy debut in TV history. The series cleverly portrays the absurdity of Hollywood while subtly addressing the fragility of artistic freedom in a world where absolute freedom of expression is rare.
The show’s central dilemma—whether artists are truly free to express their thoughts when every word must be measured against algorithms, advertising contracts, or public opinion—resonates deeply with contemporary concerns. “The Studio” serves as a reminder that artistic creation, and by extension civic expression, is always in tension between what one wants to say and what’s deemed appropriate.
True artistic freedom should not hinge on market acceptance or the tolerance of a fleeting majority. As “The Studio” implies, authentic expression remains a risk, and perhaps that’s where its value lies: in daring to unsettle others, even if it means facing their discomfort.
On a personal note, Seth Rogen’s protagonist, Matt, may be a nod to his close friend Matthew Bass. They shared many memorable moments during their university days, and Matt later became involved with Hilarity for Charity, an organization supporting families affected by Alzheimer’s through care programs, research, and awareness. Matt also directed a film about the cause in 2018, written by Rogen, Sean O’Connor, and Matthew Bass.
Final Reflection
“The Studio” and “Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell” both remind us that art is never detached from market forces or external pressures. Baldessari, through conceptual irony, exposed how certain themes, colors, or formats “sell better” than others, debunking the romantic notion of an artist unburdened by conditions. Decades later, Seth Rogen’s television satire portrays the same tension but within Hollywood’s heart—softened scripts to please investors, characters adjusted to avoid offending sensibilities, and projects molded according to the funding brand.
In both instances, the underlying question remains: what remains of artistic freedom when what’s said—or painted—depends on its marketability?
Ironically, by highlighting these limitations, both Baldessari and “The Studio” achieve the opposite: they expand the space for critique, create fissures in the system, and invite us to laugh, feel uncomfortable, and think.
