John Baldessari's Giacometti variations

Californian artist John Baldessari has produced a series of sculptures based on 'variations' of the work of Alberto Giacometti.

He's taken the Swiss sculptor's trademark tall and emaciated figurative works and draped them with colourful scarves, hula hoops and wigs.

An exhibition of Baldessari’s sculptures has opened in the cavernous halls of Milan’s Prada Foundation gallery, where the huge figures are offset by the concrete walls and industrial décor.

“Giacometti figures are the most emaciated and skinny sculptures that exist. Why not push that further?” Baldessari said. “There is currently a blurring of art and fashion. It is de rigueur that fashion models be extremely tall and thin.”

He said his work “fuses the zeitgeists” of art and fashion, but also took inspiration from Degas ballerinas.

Baldessari’s recent exhibitions in New York and Europe follow a retrospective of his work at the Tate Modern in London last year.

Click here or on the image to preview the exhibition

John Baldessari 'The Giacometti Variations' is at the Prada Foundation in Milan, Italy until 31 December