John Baldessari: Photography Never Tells the Truth

In an interview with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, John Baldessari (born 1931) asserts that the idea of photography representing truth is a myth, arguing that photographers have always manipulated images. The California artist, who has used photography as a conceptual tool, explains his decision in the 1970s to abandon painting for the camera, noting that his use of the medium has always been irregular and unconventional. At the time, Baldessari recalls, photography was not exhibited in art galleries but only in specialized photography venues, so one of his goals became to bring it into art galleries. However, he never wanted to be considered a photographer nor to participate in photography-only exhibitions, stating, "I don't believe in categories; for me it's just a medium to use."