Styles & Movements

Conceptual art

According to the The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms (© 1984 Thames & Hudson Ltd), conceptual art can de defined as follows:
1. That art consists in the basic idea, which does not have to be embodied in a physical form.
2. That language becomes the basic material of art, and the barrier between art and art theory is breached.
3. That artistic activity becomes an inquiry into the nature of art itself, and any result or embodiment must be regarded simply as an interim demonstration of the general conclusion reached by the artist. Among the artists associated with Conceptual Art are Lawrence Weiner, Sol LeWitt, Joseph Kosuth, and Bruce Nauman, though some of these are also categorized as minimalists.

During the 80s, artists most associated with conceptual art include Richard Artschwager, John Baldessari, Hans Haacke, Douglas Huebler, General Idea, and Les Levine, among others—certainly, many of these artists had been working throughout the 70s, and even 60s, in some cases.