John Baldessari

A first edition copy of John Baldessari's Choosing: Green Beans.

• John Baldessari (American).
• Milano: Edizioni Toselli, 1972.
• 28 pages.
• Quarto.
• Includes color photographs printed in offset.
• With an introduction by Baldessari in Italian and English.
• Side-stapled, printed card wrappers, text in black.

An exhibited copy of this 1970s conceptual artist's book. In the introduction, Baldessari explains that Choosing: Green Beans documents a game devised for two players: "This work is part of a series of works about choosing. In this version a group of green beans was available from which to choose. A participant was asked to choose any three beans from the group for whatever reasons he/she might have at that moment. A photograph was taken of the selection process. The chosen bean was carried over; the other two beans not chosen were discarded; two new beans were added. The next choice was made, and so on. Each of the participants develops strategies unknown to the other player as the selection process continues until all the beans are used."

This copy has the ink stamp dated 27 Juli 1974 of the Art Information Centre (1969-1993), a non-profit organization established by Peter van Beveren in Middelburg, Holland, which collected printed material related to contemporary art. The hole punched through one corner allowed the book to be suspended from the ceiling when exhibited.