In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.
SOL LEWITT (via 7knotwind)
Then is “post-Conceptual” when the artist makes an “idea/machine” and executes in a non-perfunctory manner? Maybe iterate through programs on the machine and refine till the results ring true? Though I love ideas and really dig many of the first-gen Conceptual artists I don’t feel like I can stop making decisions so early. Can anyone?
Isn’t this notion strangely romantic? As if we can really leave our work well enough alone. Same thing with my hero John Cage and his attempts to transcend his tastes.
The art making now includes the placement of that work into its environment and the efforts to circulate that artwork or idea. I’ve always thought that memetics seemed to be related to what the Conceptual artists were doing.
(via notational)