Conceptual Art
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Period: c. mid-1960s – mid-1970s CE (peak); ongoing influence Region: International (key centers: North America, Europe)
Overview & Key Characteristics
Conceptual Art, emerging internationally in the mid-1960s, marked a radical turning point where the idea or concept behind the artwork became paramount, often considered more important than the traditional aesthetic qualities or physical form of the work itself. Reacting against the formalism of late Modernism (including Minimalism) and the increasing commodification of art, Conceptual artists sought to foreground intellectual engagement and question the very nature of art. Consequently, artworks often took non-traditional forms such as text, instructions, photographs, maps, diagrams, documents, performance documentation, or simple actions. The emphasis shifted from the visual appearance or skillful execution of an object to the underlying concept, system, or process, leading to what critic Lucy Lippard termed the "dematerialization of the art object." Conceptual art frequently involves linguistic analysis, philosophical inquiry, institutional critique, and challenges to viewers' assumptions about art and perception.
Summary of Common Characteristics:
| Feature | Characteristic Description (Conceptual Art) |
|---|---|
| Light | Irrelevant or Functional: Aesthetic considerations of light are typically disregarded. Light features only as necessary for documentation or reading text. |
| Surface/Texture | Often Secondary/Non-Material: Frequently uses media like text on paper, photographs, maps where traditional artistic surface/texture is not the focus. The emphasis is on information. |
| Figures/Objects | Often Replaced by Language/Concept: The artwork may consist solely of text (definitions, statements, instructions), documentation of an event, or simple objects used purely to illustrate an idea (Kosuth). |
| Space/Depth | Conceptual or Documented Space: Operates primarily in the realm of ideas. Physical space is relevant mainly as context, as documented, or as the site for an action, rather than as a composed pictorial element. |
| Color Palette | Usually Minimal, Functional, or Neutral: Often uses black and white (text, photos) or colors inherent to materials used for documentation. Aesthetic color choices are generally avoided as distracting from the concept. |
| Composition | Driven by Idea, System, or Information: Arrangement dictated by the underlying concept. Often appears diagrammatic, list-like, purely textual, or resembles bureaucratic documentation. Rejects traditional aesthetic composition. |
| Details/Lines | Focus on clarity of information, linguistic precision, or systemic logic. Lines function as text, diagrams, map elements, or boundaries in documented actions. |
| Mood/Emotion | Analytical, Intellectual, Critical, Questioning, often Deadpan or Neutral. Aims to provoke thought, analyze language/systems, critique institutions, or explore philosophical questions. Deliberately avoids sentimentality or overt emotional expression. |
| Subject Matter | The Nature of Art Itself: What is art? How does it derive meaning? Language, philosophy, semiotics, systems, information theory, documentation, time, place, institutional critique (examining museums, galleries, markets), social/political structures. The idea is the subject. |
As Sol LeWitt famously stated in his "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art" (1967): "In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work... all planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art."
Historical Context & Influences
Conceptual Art arose from the specific cultural and intellectual climate of the 1960s and 70s:
- Reaction Against Formalism: A move away from the emphasis on purely visual and material qualities dominant in late Modernist criticism (e.g., Clement Greenberg) and movements like Minimalism.
- Critique of Commodification: A desire among some artists to create art that could not be easily bought, sold, or treated as a decorative commodity.
- Social & Political Ferment: The era of the Vietnam War, civil rights movements, feminism, and widespread questioning of authority influenced the critical and anti-establishment stance of some Conceptual artists (e.g., institutional critique).
- Intellectual Currents: Influence of linguistic philosophy (Wittgenstein), structuralism, and semiotics, leading to a focus on language, signs, and systems of meaning.
Influences: Key influences include:
- Marcel Duchamp: His readymades, questioning of authorship ("Is it art because an artist says it is?"), and emphasis on the conceptual act were foundational.
- Minimalism: Provided a starting point through its reduction of form and emphasis on systems and ideas (Sol LeWitt is central to both movements).
- Fluxus: An international network of artists embracing intermedia, performance, chance, and challenging art boundaries.
- Ad Reinhardt: His late "black paintings" and writings pushing towards ultimate reduction.
- Jasper Johns & Robert Rauschenberg: Their earlier work incorporating signs, language, and found elements.
Key Artists & Their Contributions
- Joseph Kosuth (b. 1945): A leading theorist; explored art as a linguistic proposition through works like One and Three Chairs and his "Art as Idea as Idea" series.
- Lawrence Weiner (1942-2021): Known for works consisting of language describing materials or actions, which could exist solely as text or be physically manifested (Declaration of Intent, 1968).
- Sol LeWitt (1928-2007): Bridged Minimalism and Conceptualism; created instructions for wall drawings and structures, emphasizing the concept over the execution ("The idea becomes a machine that makes the art").
- Robert Barry (b. 1936): Worked with invisible or ephemeral phenomena (inert gas, radio waves, telepathy) documented through text or photos.
- Douglas Huebler (1924-1997): Used photography, maps, and text to explore systems related to time, location, and documentation.
- On Kawara (1933-2014): Focused on time, existence, and consciousness through works like his "Date Paintings" (Today series) and telegrams ("I AM STILL ALIVE").
- Art & Language: An influential collaborative group using text and theory to analyze the language and ideology of art.
- John Baldessari (1931-2020): Used humor, text, and appropriated images to deconstruct relationships between language and visual representation.
- Hans Haacke (b. 1936): Pioneer of institutional critique, creating works that exposed the social, political, and economic systems underpinning art institutions.
Notable Works
- Kosuth: One and Three Chairs (1965).
- Weiner: Statements like A WALL SCRATCHED or MANY COLORED OBJECTS PLACED SIDE BY SIDE TO FORM A ROW OF MANY COLORED OBJECTS.
- LeWitt: Paragraphs on Conceptual Art (1967), Sentences on Conceptual Art (1969), numerous Wall Drawings and Structures.
- Barry: Inert Gas Series (1969).
- Huebler: Duration Piece #5 (1969), Variable Piece #70 (1971).
- Kawara: Today series (ongoing from 1966), I Met series, I Got Up series.
- Baldessari: I Am Making Art (1971 video), What Is Painting (1966-68 text painting).
- Haacke: MoMA Poll (1970), Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings... (1971).
Legacy and Influence
Conceptual Art fundamentally altered the landscape of contemporary art practice:
- It definitively established that art could exist primarily as an idea, challenging the necessity of a traditional aesthetic object.
- Expanded the definition of art materials to include language, information, documentation, actions, and systems.
- Fostered critical thinking about the nature of art, its institutions, and its relationship to society.
- Its "dematerialization" strategy critiqued the art market, although conceptual works found new forms of commodification (e.g., certificates of authenticity, documentation).
- It heavily influenced nearly all subsequent contemporary art forms, including installation art, performance art, video art, appropriation art, institutional critique, and practices focused on social and political engagement. The principle that the concept can be the defining aspect of an artwork remains central to much contemporary art.