Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line (Best of Thirty-Six Attempts)

John Baldessari threw three orange balls into the bright California sky 36 times, while his then-wife Carol Wixom attempted to photograph a moment when they would all appear in a straight line. The resulting photographs, what Baldessari describes as the 12 “best,” are documents of his failed attempts to create order from chaos. With their bright blue skies, green palm trees, and balls that resemble oranges, these images could also be mistaken for mid-century postcards from sunny California from a distance.