Today, I would like to make a case for Conceptualism, a modern period of art created in the 1960s. Now, most people think modern art is pointless, ugly, even ridiculous. While I don't particularly like every piece of modern art by any means, I think that Conceptualism is a wonderful movement that is filled with many pieces that I genuinely enjoy. Conceptualism, in the art world at least, is the idea that belief that the idea and/or process behind a piece is far more important than how the piece ends up looking. Sol LeWitt, a conceptual artist, is an excellent example of this. He created simple pieces and then created instructions that other people could follow so that they could create their own version of the piece, which he considered an art form itself. I actually ended up following a set of his instructions for a line drawing for a college assignment, and let me tell you, I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.
It genuinely helped me to better understand Conceptualism. While trying to decide what on earth I was going to do, how this would be important and significant to me, it all of a sudden was very clear on what I wanted my piece to be about - as stated by LeWitt and by Conceptualism as a whole, it’s the idea behind the piece that matters the most. I decided that I wanted my piece to be about life, and all that occurs, doesn’t occur, and falls short. I laid out my dots in a semblance of a night sky, with some dots bigger than others, some closer than others. I chose constellations because the dots are occupying space, they are unique, inconsistent, have different meanings to different people, with some parts meaning more than others to different people.
Such is the way of life, some things, people, memories, places, etc. are more significant than others. People see different things, experience different things. I wanted people to view this piece as themselves, without trying to understand my perspective and life. I want people to look at it and see what shapes and images they can conjure - much like cloud watching - thereby allowing memories to pop up. It is meant to be a piece of all experiences and people, who assign their own meaning, significance, and meaning to the piece in whatever way they deem fitting for them - just as I have already done for myself. The whole purpose of this piece is meant to be a unique experience for all viewers that has no right or wrong answer, it is simply what they see, what it evokes, and what it means to them.
Not only was the idea and purpose of my piece and LeWitt’s piece essentially the same, but I also placed importance on the process of making the piece. I started off simply, with just a pencil, working my way up to a more and more complicated piece, doing them in stages, much like stages of life, and how they get more diverse, complicated, exciting, exhaustive, etc. Compared to other people’s pieces that followed LeWitt’s instructions, I think that mine, along with theirs, achieved what both LeWitt desired, what the participant desired, and what each of their individual goals was, whether it be meaning, process, design, etc. I don’t think that any of them aren’t authentic, they may have different levels of meaning and desire, but I believe that they are authentic because they were created with a specific intent and purpose.
Now, I don't expect you to love Conceptualism, or even like it. All I ask is that you give it a chance. Allow it into your heart, let it be what you want it to- your perspective and feelings are integral to each Conceptualist piece, you complete the piece.
If you're interested in trying out some of LeWitt's instructions or just reading about it in general, there is a link below, along with my recreation of the instructions:
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