CONCEPTUAL ART

1955 - Present

 Most Conceptual artists, including the thought leader, Sol LeWitt, came out of the Minimalist movement. They were making another step forward in the constant avant-garde effort to push the boundaries of art. Finally, artists started to ask the question, “Must an artist create art to make art?” 

LeWitt worked for a short time in the 1950s in the budding young architectural studio of I.M. Pei. There he witnessed Pei’s artistry and command of materials, but realized that the architect never built anything with his own hands. “An architect doesn’t go off with a shovel and dig his foundation and lay every brick. He’s still an artist.” To LeWitt the next logical question was: Can you create art without making art?

Conceptual art elevates ideas above objects. There are a number of types of Conceptual Art, including Performance Art, but all share a commitment to the idea rather than the object created. Robert Rauschenberg moved from the realm of Pop Art to Conceptual Art with his series Combines, where he combined sculptures and paintings in installations performed by others. In LeWitt’s case, he often wrote detailed instructions that others could use to build something. His contribution was both the idea and the instructions. Someone else could create the installation.

Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude created monumental environmental sculptures in fabric which have covered buildings as well as miles of beaches, mountains, and parks. It was ephemeral art conceived by a wildly creative duo and installed by others according to their instructions.