In a video created in 1971, the late artist John Baldessari stood in front of a camera, solemnly repeating the sentence “I am making art.” Since the beginning of his career in the 1960s, Baldessari has used his practice to draw viewers away from a work’s aesthetic qualities, asking us instead to focus on its conceptual message. He has experimented with many mediums and techniques, explored linguistics, and toyed endlessly with the imagery of pop culture. In this exhibition, over 75 Baldessari maquettes, dating from 1981 to the 2000s, shed light on his distinct practice. This is the first show of Baldessari’s work at Sprüth Magers’ New York gallery. —Elena Clavarino