“Art is all over” was the signature phrase of San Diego artist Russell Baldwin, often reproduced in his artwork with found objects, etched glass, or paint. Such a playful use of text was common in the conceptual art movement that Baldwin and his better-known contemporaries such as John Baldessari represented. In the 1960s both artists challenged the norms of art-making, defying the expectations of what art should be, or portray.

The affiliation that artist-teachers Baldessari and Baldwin shared contributed to the impressive collection assembled by Palomar College’s Boehm Gallery, where Baldwin served as Director from 1965-1986. The selections from Boehm featured here bring this relationship into focus, highlighting how both artists believed that art was a form of communication akin to language, and so encouraged an intermingling of both.

Terminal 2 East, Pre-Security, East End Gallery