Conceptual Art: 4 Characteristics of Conceptualism

Conceptual art emphasizes the basic concept or idea behind a piece above any considerations of traditional artistic constraints. This art movement both draws influence from and critiques modernism. Whereas modernist art deconstructs the traditional form of visual art, conceptual art deconstructs the very definition of art itself. Through both visual and performance art, concept artists take ideas they hope to convey artistically and then proceed to do so in as minimalistic or literal a way as possible.

The famous modernist artist Marcel Duchamp predicted the arrival of conceptual art decades before its heyday. Consider his Fountain, a ready-made urinal he carved out of a wall and submitted for exhibition. In the 1910s, this scandalized the art world—but half a century later, turning what’s understood as “art” on its head like this became the lifeblood of the conceptual art movement.

Stretching from the late 1960s through the early 1970s, artists (as well as art collectives like Art & Language and Fluxus) drew influence from Duchamp and other avant-garde artistic precursors like Piero Manzoni, Robert Rauschenberg, and Yves Klein. The conceptual artists of this period used both unorthodox materials, imaginative concepts, and wry, often humorous, approaches to artistic execution to influence contemporary art for decades to come.

Conceptual art often weds a literal execution to an imaginative initial concept. Here are four key characteristics of conceptual art:

• Avant-garde style: Conceptualism draws on other nontraditional and avant-garde styles from modern art history. Abstract expressionism, pop art, and dada all fuel the unconventional approach of conceptual art.
• Emphasis on concept: Conceptualists discard any preconceived notions of what should constitute a given art form. In their view, art-making is possible with any materials and approach they see fit—as such, the only purpose of art is to convey the initial concept.
• Irony: Although conceptual works of art stand on their own, many also serve as ironic institutional critiques of the art market and world. By turning expectations about what art is or should be on its head, concept artists lampoon and satirize both artistic traditions and the broader culture in which they find themselves.
• Minimalism: It might not always be the case, but conceptual art objects can veer toward minimalism. By using a rudimentary and basic approach to convey their ideas, they display how easily you can convey an artistic concept without any added frills.

Conceptual artists are inventive, imaginative, and often humorous. Here are eight whose work you can explore:

1. 1. Damien Hirst: Borrowing from the concept artists of the 1960s and ’70s, Hirst created an installation art piece for the ages in 1991. Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living suspended an actual dead shark in formaldehyde to convey just what he insinuated in the title of the piece.
2. 2. Jenny Holzer: As a conceptualist, Holzer predominantly works with text as a medium. She displays blocks of commentary across billboards, buildings, and other public spaces to inspire thought.
3. 3. John Baldessari: Originally from California, Baldessari often rearranged other people’s photos in his art. He often added written words to these images to display how easily one can introduce a new meaning into an old piece of art.
4. 4. Joseph Kosuth: In his essay “Art After Philosophy,” Kosuth set out his personal philosophy of what makes for a conceptual work of art. Since then, many other artists have hewn close to his definition of this ostensibly “definitionless” art form. His piece One and Three Chairs encapsulates the style of the entire movement: The work includes one actual chair, one photo of a chair, and one written description of a chair—a literal yet imaginative expression of the piece’s title.
5. 5. Lawrence Weiner: As is the case for some of his conceptualist colleagues, Lawrence Weiner prominently used blocks of text instead of images in his own works of art. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles are just two places that have displayed his typographic creations.
6. 6. Mel Bochner: Using colorful paintings of words, Mel Bochner creates works of art that foreground the vibrant use of language. In addition to these linguistically inspired paintings, he’s also produced work focusing on geometric patterns.
7. 7. Sol LeWitt: A fixture of the 1960s New York City conceptual art scene, Sol LeWitt also helped provide context to the movement’s goals in his Artforum essay, “Paragraphs on Conceptual Art.” He focused on blocky sculptures and minimalist wall drawings throughout his career.
8. 8. Yoko Ono: Before meeting John Lennon and the rest of The Beatles, Yoko Ono was an established concept artist in her own right. She also worked with the international Fluxus artistic collective to push the boundaries of conceptual artwork.

Grab the MasterClass Annual Membership and plumb the depths of your creativity with the help of modern artist Jeff Koons, abstract artist Futura, and stage designer Es Devlin. Our exclusive video lessons will teach you to do things like utilize color and scale, explore the beauty in everyday objects, and so much more.