Which comes first, the art or the idea?

Some 20th-century artists pushed the limits of abstraction to the extreme. Once free of the perceived requirement to make representational art, they began to focus more on their ideas for what art could be. For some, the idea or concept became the most important part of the artwork. Since the 1960s, this type of art has been called conceptual art. Conceptual artists documented or diagrammed their ideas for various artworks. If they were interested in creating a physical object based on their plan, they either made it themselves or provided the instructions to other people to fabricate the piece as a drawing, painting, sculpture, or other work. Some conceptual artists simply display the plans, texts, or notationsas an artwork, which emphasizes the idea as the key part of their creative process.


Key Ideas of Conceptual Art

• The artist’s ideas are more important than the actual painting, sculpture, or object created.

• The use of language takes priority over visual experience.

• Artists criticized art-world institutions and society and wanted to create something outside of the system.


View the images and read the background information for:


1. Lawrence Weiner Bits & Pieces Put Together to Present a Semblance of a Whole
See More information @ http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/all2.html?ref=5:1



2. Sol LeWitt X with Columns
See More Information @ http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/all2.html?ref=5:2



3. On Kawara TODAY series
See More Information @ http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/all2.html?ref=5:3

From the Walker Art Center's website "So, Why is this Art?"
http://schools.walkerart.org/swita/switaact5.html

Discussion questions:
What do you think is more important, the idea behind an artwork or the actual work of art?

Conceptual art is a style of art that includes a wide variety of ideas and media. The emphasis on the artist’s thoughts and ideas led some to consider any activity or thought as a potential artwork. One of the goals of conceptual artists was to expand the scope of what art could be. In some cases, artists considered everything in life to be a work of art. Do you agree or disagree with these artists? Why or why not?

Respond in a post with your name and hour for a chance for extra credit.