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How to Appreciate Conceptual Art
Many people simply don’t get conceptual art. Why are snow shovels and a stack of oranges even considered art, they wonder? With artworks as unusual and versatile as these, it’s no wonder that many people find it difficult to understand what it’s all about.
What is Conceptual Art?
Conceptual art is an art movement based on the notion that idea or concept is the essence of art. Art doesn’t even have to take on a physical form. It can be something the artist says or does or a document of the artist’s thinking. As Sol LeWitt put it “the idea itself is a work of art”. So when looking at Conceptual art instead of focusing on how the art looks like, you should focus on the artist’s thinking process and the idea behind it.
Since ideas appear in many shapes and forms, conceptual art can take a myriad of manifestations. It can be a photograph, a sculpture, a drawing, a document, an installation but it can also be a performance and a happening. But conceptual art doesn’t have to be difficult to understand. Even in all of its versatility, there are a few things that bring all conceptual artworks together.
