The Museum has had some challenging shows since it opened, some of which have been outright confusing for visitors. As docents, we have been entrusted with the task of helping people understand what they are looking at. Of course it helps that we get information from the artist, publications, and each other. That information exchange is what this article is about.

Postmodern Art may be difficult to explain, but it has a clear placement in the field of the arts. Conceptual Art, while related, is really a different animal. It can be considered a genre, like Modernism or Postmodernism, but it is also in several movements. When you take it down to the basic idea, all art is conceptual.

Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, describes Conceptual Art as “art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.” The important part of this definition is the word precedence. That means that in some cases Conceptual Art may not entail any art object, but instead consists of an art idea; something that exists only in the documentation after the fact or while it is happening. A key difference between this type of work and traditional fine art is that the conceptualist’s work may require little or no physical craftsmanship in its execution, or at first glance, seem to be something other than art altogether.

The first use of the term “Conceptual Art” in the 1960’s referred to the strict and focused practice of idea-based art. Marcel Duchamp made many of the oldest examples of Conceptual Art, creating idea-based pieces as early as 1917. Duchamp is given credit for creating the field by Joseph Kosuth in his 1969 essay, Art after Philosophy, when he wrote: “All art (after Duchamp) is conceptual because art only exists conceptually.” This is in reference to Duchamp’s statement that art is based on the artist’s choice, not on the actual creation of a piece. At the time his ideas were a reaction against the consumerism prevalent in the fine art market.

Later, during the 1990’s Conceptual Art became a synonym for all contemporary art not considered painting or sculpture, probably because of the genre’s lack of focus on traditional technique. The direct opposite of Conceptual Art is Formalism, a style in which the content is technique, focusing on composition, colors, and shapes. The Libensky piece now in Contrasts: A Glass Primer is an example of Formalism.

Recently there has been a strong association between Postmodernism and Conceptual Art. They share many of the same traits, including themes of anti-commodification, social/political critique, and ideas/information as medium. Often contemporary conceptual artists are working with installation, performance, and electronic/digital art.

The main intent of Conceptual Art is to provide information exchange. The focus is on the idea, not the actual object. Jim Campbell’s work, with its showy use of technology, is not what most people think of as sculpture. His work is intent on addressing neglected and confusing issues, even confusion itself.

In the exhibit Quantizing Effects: The Liminal Art of Jim Campbell it can be difficult to get groups to focus on the work rather than drifting around, confused, but at the same time, not wanting to hear what they think will be a complicated explanation. Campbell is a Postmodern artist, using unusual/electronic materials, creating installations that activate space, and addressing social issues. Moreover, his works are idea-based, more concerned with information than aesthetic, making viewers think in new or unexpected ways. Because of this, Jim Campbell’s work clearly fits into the description of Conceptual Art.

Websites
For more information on Conceptual Art and other art movements visit Wikipedea.

Marcel Duchamp’s Bottle Rack and other works by the artist can be viewed at Olga’s Gallery, at www.abcgallery.com/D/duchamp, or accessed through Art Encyclopedia: the Fine Art Search Engine.