Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology [Paperback]

Alexander Alberro (Editor), Blake Stimson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0262511177 | ISBN-13: 978-0262511179

Compared to other avant-garde movements that emerged in the 1960s, conceptual art has received relatively little serious attention by art historians and critics of the past twenty-five years--in part because of the difficult, intellectual nature of the art. This lack of attention is particularly striking given the tremendous influence of conceptual art on the art of the last fifteen years, on critical discussion surrounding postmodernism, and on the use of theory by artists, curators, critics, and historians.This landmark anthology collects for the first time the key historical documents that helped give definition and purpose to the movement. It also contains more recent memoirs by participants, as well as critical histories of the period by some of today's leading artists and art historians. Many of the essays and artists' statements have been translated into English specifically for this volume. A good portion of the exchange between artists, critics, and theorists took place in difficult-to-find limited-edition catalogs, small journals, and private correspondence. These influential documents are gathered here for the first time, along with a number of previously unpublished essays and interviews.Contributors : Alexander Alberro, Art & Language, Terry Atkinson, Michael Baldwin, Robert Barry, Gregory Battcock, Mel Bochner, Sigmund Bode, Georges Boudaille, Marcel Broodthaers, Benjamin Buchloh, Daniel Buren, Victor Burgin, Ian Burn, Jack Burnham, Luis Camnitzer, John Chandler, Sarah Charlesworth, Michel Claura, Jean Clay, Michael Corris, Eduardo Costa, Thomas Crow, Hanne Darboven, Raúl Escari, Piero Gilardi, Dan Graham, Maria Teresa Gramuglio, Hans Haacke, Charles Harrison, Roberto Jacoby, Mary Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Max Kozloff, Christine Kozlov, Sol LeWitt, Lucy Lippard, Lee Lozano, Kynaston McShine, Cildo Meireles, Catherine Millet, Olivier Mosset, John Murphy, Hélio Oiticica, Michel Parmentier, Adrian Piper, Yvonne Rainer, Mari Carmen Ramirez, Nicolas Rosa, Harold Rosenberg, Martha Rosler, Allan Sekula, Jeanne Siegel, Seth Siegelaub, Terry Smith, Robert Smithson, Athena Tacha Spear, Blake Stimson, Niele Toroni, Mierle Ukeles, Jeff Wall, Rolf Wedewer, Ian Wilson.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These two compilations, one a show catalog, the other an anthology of artists' writings, review one of the most contested movements in 20th-century art. While the editors may quibble over certain key pointsAsuch as the founding moment of conceptualismAtheir works largely complement rather than contradict each other. In Conceptual Art, art history professors Alberro and Stimson present a rich history of the American branch through the writings of Joseph Kosuth, Lucy Lippard, the Art & Language collective, and dozens of others. The editors' selections concentrate on the manifestos and critiques produced during the movement's formative years from 1966 to 1977Ain fact, they seem to regard later artists as impure hangers-onAbut they also have included memoirs and a few retrospective histories. In addition, two introductions trace the movement's history and analyze the true aims of the adherents. Reading these primary texts is essential to understanding such an intellectually grounded movement; one only hopes a more affordable paperback will be issued for students. The catalog to a show that will be moving from New York to Minneapolis and Miami, Global Conceptualism aims to broaden our understanding of conceptual art by showing its varied manifestations in different cultures at different times. The show's organizers are careful to indicate that these manifestations are not necessarily part of a cohesive whole, intimating instead that conceptualism is a logical response to certain political conditions that have reappeared in various places. Reinforcing this basic understanding, the book presents 11 geographically oriented essays. The pieces are always informative, but their parameters vary widely, and the quality of the writing is rather uneven. These are supplemented by 70 pages of plates, a chronology, and brief biographies of the artists. Neither book is for the uninitiated, thanks largely to the complexity of the subject matter, but they are both clear and unique contributions. All academic and large public libraries should stock both.AEric Bryant, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This is an extraordinary work of archeology inconceptual art, full of surprises. The book brings back to life anincredible array of discussions about rich cultural issues thatdeveloped in the West from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. A challenging'idea' book for our 'visual' times." Serge Guilbaut, Professor of Art History and Head,Department of Fine Arts, University of British Columbia

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 623 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (August 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262511177
• ISBN-13: 978-0262511179
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Conceptual

More About the Author

Alexander Alberro is the Virginia Bloedel Wright Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at Barnard College and Columbia University in New York City.