Conceptual art
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“The most interesting characteristic of the cube is that it is relatively uninteresting. Compared to other three-dimensional forms, the cube lacks the expressive force of the sphere, the dynamic quality of the pyramid, or the graceful complexity of the human figure. But it is what it is — a square in three dimensions — and that alone is enough.”
Sol LeWitt
Cube Without a Cube
Painted wood multiple, contained in the original wooden box.
1996
7 7/8 x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.
Sold $17,780
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“I don’t think it’s necessary to be original. It’s necessary to be honest.”
Martin Creed: What’s the point of it? is the first major retrospective of Creed’s ingenious and often highly provocative work. Since the beginning of his career, when he made small objects that could be placed anywhere, Creed has made work that questions the very nature of art and challenges taboos. His work takes on a multitude of forms—from sculpture, paintings, neons, films and installations, to music and performance—appearing both in the art gallery and in broader public circulation. At once rigorous and humorous, his art continually surprises, disrupts and overturns our expectations. It reflects on the unease we face in making choices, the comfort we find in repetition, the desire to control, and the inevitable losses of control that shape existence.
Martin Creed
Work No. 88
1995
A sheet of A4 paper crumpled into a ball.
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“Every good work should have at least ten meanings.” — Walter De Maria
The Broken Kilometer (1979), located at 393 West Broadway in New York City, is composed of 500 highly polished, round, solid brass rods, each measuring two meters in length and five centimeters (two inches) in diameter. The 500 rods are placed in five parallel rows of 100 rods each. The sculpture weighs 18 ¾ tons and would measure 3,280 feet if all the elements were laid end-to-end. Each rod is placed such that the spaces between the rods increase by 5mm with each consecutive space, from front to back; the first two rods of each row are placed 80mm apart, the last two rods are placed 580 mm apart. Stadium lights illuminate the work’s full area of 45 by 125 feet.
This work is the companion piece to De Maria’s 1977 Vertical Earth Kilometer at Kassel, Germany. In that permanently installed earth sculpture, a brass rod of the same diameter, total weight and total length has been inserted 1,000 meters into the ground.
The Broken Kilometer has been on long-term view to the public since 1979. This work was commissioned and is maintained by Dia Art Foundation.
Walter De Maria
The Broken Kilometer
1979
Brass
At 393 West Broadway, New York
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Art Movement Overview (Cont.)
Style often helps categorize and define art, making it easier for people to understand and discuss different periods, techniques, and themes in art history. Without a recognizable style, art can become more challenging to classify. However, this does not mean that art without a defined style lacks value or meaning. It just means that it may not fit neatly into the traditional frameworks that we’ve created for understanding art.
In the absence of a specific style, art may be categorized by other criteria, like the concepts behind the work, its intentions, or even its context (social, political, or cultural). For instance, conceptual art is categorized by the ideas it expresses rather than the visual style itself. Similarly, installation art might focus more on how the work interacts with space and the viewer than on the style of its execution.
In some ways, art without style challenges the idea that all art must be categorized in a specific way. It opens up a broader interpretation, where the meaning and impact of the art can come from its message or experience rather than its form.
Do you find this lack of style freeing, or do you think art needs some form of structure to be appreciated?
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Art Movement Overview
An art movement is a style or trend in art that is followed by a group of artists during a specific period. These movements often share common techniques, themes, or philosophies. They can be influenced by historical events, cultural shifts, or technological advancements.
For example:
- Impressionism (late 19th century) focused on capturing light and everyday life with loose brushwork.
- Surrealism (20th century) explored dreams and the unconscious mind with strange, dreamlike imagery.
- Abstract Expressionism (mid-20th century) emphasized spontaneous and emotional brushstrokes rather than realistic representation.
Art movements help categorize different styles and ideas in art history. Do you have a particular movement you’re interested in?
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“Ask yourself: what does your toaster want? How about your dog? Or the bacteria in your gut? What about the pixels on the screen you’re reading off now—how is their day going? In other words, do things, animals, and other non-human entities experience their existence in a way that lies outside our own species-centric definition of consciousness? It’s precisely this questions that the nascent philosophical movement known as Object-Oriented Ontology (arising from ὄντος, the Greek word for “being,” and known to the cool kids as OOO) is attempting to answer or at least seriously pose, and they’re setting certain segments of the art world on fire.”
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The value of art
The value of art can be understood in multiple dimensions:
1. Cultural and Historical Significance: Art often captures the cultural, social, and historical contexts of the time in which it was created. It can serve as a record of human experience and a way to communicate across generations.
2. Emotional and Aesthetic Impact: Art has the power to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and provide aesthetic pleasure. Its ability to resonate with individuals on a personal level adds to its value.
3. Economic Value: Art can have significant monetary value, determined by factors such as the artist’s reputation, rarity, historical importance, and demand within the art market. This economic aspect is evident in auctions and private sales of artwork.
4. Symbolic Value: Art can carry symbolic meaning, representing ideals, beliefs, or social commentary. This can increase its value in the eyes of those who share or appreciate these symbols.
5. Personal Value: For many, art holds personal value, whether it’s a family heirloom, a piece that resonates with their personal experiences, or something that simply brings them joy.
In essence, the value of art is subjective and multifaceted, varying greatly depending on the context in which it is viewed and appreciated.
By ChatGPT
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Richard Serra. Television Delivers People. 1973
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Installation photo of Richard Serra Sculpture: Forty Years, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, June 3–September 24, 2007. Photo: Lorenz Kienzle
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Irving Penn
The Poor Lovers
1979
Platinum-palladium print
18 ½ x 11 3/8 in.
Price realised
EUR 25,000
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Ian Burn began investigating the act of looking in the mid 1960s. In this work, text across a standard framed mirror quotes from the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume. The original quote continues, ‘if we consider these objects in themselves, and never look beyond the ideas which we form of them’.
The viewer is asked to consider this specific work of art without considering his or her accumulated knowledge and assumptions about either ‘mirrors’ or ‘works of art’ (or the person ‘in’ the mirror). The impossibility of isolating any one thing from all others is emphasised in this conceptual artwork by our reflection in the mirror and that of the space in which it hangs and other art nearby.
Ian Burn
Two glass/Mirror piece
1968
mirror, glass, wood
93.7 × 63.2 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
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“Why do people think artists are special? It’s just another job.”— Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
Colored Mona Lisa
1963
silkscreen inks and graphite on canvas
125 7/8 x 82 1/8 in.
Price realised
USD 56,165,000