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What is Conceptual Art?
 Art that is intended to convey an idea or concept to
the perceiver and need not involve the creation or
appreciation of a traditional art object such as a
painting or sculpture. (Dictionary)
But… what does that really
mean?
 Ideas are more important then the finished work
 Art of ideas
 Uses images and objects to make the viewer think,
and to think particularly about what art is and what it
means
 Rejected the idea of “art should be beautiful”
 Rejects conventional painting and sculpture
When was the movement
taking place?
 middle 1960s and the early 1970;s
What led up to this
movement? Who influenced
it?
 Influenced by Marcel Duchamp with his ready
mades
 Yves Klein and Piero Manzoni “what is art?”
Was it a reaction against
anything?
 Reaction against the increasingly commercialized art
world
 No traditional art objects
Style
 No particular style
 Conceptualism could take the form of tendencies
such as happenings, performance art, installation,
body art, and earth art
 Photography gained interest
Key Ideas
 Art is essentially conceptual
 Reduce the material to absolute minimum
 Influenced by the simplicity of minimalism
 The gallery/museum or the audience complete the
art work somehow
 Self-conscious
Damien Hirst
 English artist
 Death is a central theme in his works
Spot Paintings, Household gloss on canvas
84 x 84
inches (213.4 x 213.4 cm)Damien Hirst, 2005.
Damiel Hirst, Pharmacy, 1992, Glass, faced particleboard, painted MDF, beech,
ramin, wooden dowels, aluminium, pharmaceutical packaging, desks, office.
Tracy Emin

Style:
Autobiographical
Confessional

 English artist born in 1963
 Shestudied art in Maidstone, then returned to
London to study painting at the Royal College of Art.
Tracey Emin, My Bed (c. 1999) Installation.
Everyone
I Have
Ever
Slept With
1963–
1995 by
Tracey
Joseph Kosuth
 American conceptual artist
 Born January 31, 1945
 More language based art
work
Joseph Kosuth, One and Three chairs, 1965.
Connection
What do I think?
 Making other people do the art work, may be unfair
 Art can be ideas
 It is nice that ideas are important – more creative
 Viewers interaction to ideas
Bibliography


"The Art Story.org - Your Guide to Modern Art." Conceptual Art Movement, Artists and Major Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct.
2013. <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-conceptual-art.htm>.



"Conceptual Art." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.



"Conceptual-art." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.



"Conceptual-art." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conceptualart>.



"Art Beat: The 10 Damien Hirst Works You Should Know." Complex.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.complex.com/art-design/2009/07/art-beat-the-10-damien-hirst-works-you-should-know>.



"Damien HirstPharmacy 1992." 'Pharmacy', Damien Hirst. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hirst-pharmacy-t07187/text-summary>.



Garcia, Pablo, and O. Wallace. WiseGeek. Conjecture, 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-isconceptual-art.htm>.



"Tracey Emin." - Artist's Profile. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/tracey_emin.htm>.



"Neon Statements." The Monthly. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2009/december/1295830898/justin-clemens/neon-statements>.



"The Art Daily with Lydia." : Tracey Emin, My Bed (c. 1999). N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
<http://theartdaily.blogspot.com/2010/04/tracey-emin-my-bed-c-1999.html>.