John Baldessari

“When I went to art school, I was just having fun. I realised that was the last chance I had, and then I would have to get a job.”

“That word 'funny' always makes me feel uncomfortable. Because if I were trying to be funny, I would be something like Bill Wegman - he really tries to be funny. I don't try to be funny. It's just that I feel the world is a little bit absurd and off-kilter, and I'm sort of reporting.”

“I could never figure out why photography and art had separate histories. So I decided to explore both.”

“It's human desire to be understood. And we always feel we're not understood.”

“I go back and forth between wanting to be abundantly simple and maddeningly complex.”

“I guess I get bored easily, and thank God. I don't want to all my life pound only the same key, although some artists do it very effectively. I'm not trying to denigrate anybody.”