Spitting in the Wind / Art from the End of the Line

Spitting in the Wind: Art from the End of the Line celebrates long-standing friendships of artists Richard Allen Morris (b. 1933), John Baldessari (b. 1931), Bob Matheny (b. 1929) and Russell Baldwin (1933-2008), and highlights the astonishing range of work they created while living and working in San Diego. Curated by Dave Hampton.

Left to right on opening night: Richard Allen Morris, John Baldessari, Bob Matheny and Dave Hampton. Check out Hampton's canvas tie by Richard Allen Morris.  

John Baldessari quote from Welton Jone's article "Tiny Southwestern had huge impact on 60's San Diego," San Diego Union Tribune, 1994 via Spitting in the Wind by Dave Hampton (More on Southwestern College- here)

"There is still no real room for art here. The attitude is anti-art. The art potential of this area is tremendous, but nothing is done about it, and the top people tend to leave." - Richard Allen Morris, 1965 via Spitting in the Wind by Dave Hampton

"San Diego hasn't come of age artistically. It's rough when you want communication, but for painting it's alright. Because there's no structured art community here, there is no pressure to paint what's in fashion. I can listen to myself and move and grow in any direction." John Baldessari, 1966 via Spitting in the Wind by Dave Hampton 

John Baldessari, [...] 1959; Richard Allen Morris, Smokey Stover, 1959-1960; John Baldessari, Pete Seeger is Coming Wednesday. Why Not Ask Him Over? Max., 1960

Hampton organized the exhibition into groupings that show how the artists were exploring similar trajectories.    

Bob Matheny, Circle #3, 1963; John Baldessari, White Painting (Two Planes) with Red Rectangle,1962; Bob Matheny, 2, 1965; Russell Baldwin, William, 1964

On July 24, 1970 Baldessari gathered up all the paintings he made between 1953 (college graduation) and 1966 (when he gave up "relational painting" in favor of conceptual text and photo painting). He loaded them in his van and took them to a crematorium in San Diego and had them all burned. The ashes were placed in urns or made into cookies.  With this, John Baldessari says good bye to San Diego and heads north for a job at Cal Arts in Los Angeles. This act is documented in the rarely seen film being shown in the exhibit. 

Poster for a John Baldessair and Bob Matheny two-person show, Wholes and Sums of Parts at Chapman College, 1968Collection of Bob Matheny, Photo by Chip Morton

Richard Allen Morris, Ties; Bob Matheny, Zayin, 1965; Russell Baldwin,Untitled Multiple, 1966 (top right);  Richard Allen Morris, Lighter, 1971

Those who go to opening nights get their catalogs signed.  Matheny claimed this was the 11th time anybody has asked for his autograph. I don't believe it. 

Baldessari signing my catalog. It was nice of the big guy to come down to the show from Los Angles. It's interesting to wonder what would have happened if he never left. 

"The title is accurate," Morris says. "It expresses the frustration of the times, which were pathetic, as they are now. It hasn't changed. This is not a vigorous art community at all." - Richard Allen Morris, about the exhibition title Spitting in the Wind and San Diego. 2014 via City Beat

The fact that after all these years Richard Allen Morris and Bob Matheny are still making art in San Diego has me questioning Richard's comment. This and the ability for Dave Hampton's to keep willing exhibitions like this into reality show that there is a vigorous art community in San Diego. I'm not sure that would be the case is Morris, Matheny and Hampton were eliminated. 

Photo: Darren Bradley