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Conceptual Photography

CONCEPTUAL STYLE

In 1967, artist Sol LeWitt wrote that in “Conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work.” He was giving a name to an art movement that had emerged in the 1960s in which artists were less focused on their medium being something traditionally “artistic” and instead engaged in using any object, movement, form, action or place to express an idea.

LeWitt’s work was featured alongside an assemblage of notes, drawings and outlines by other artists in “Working Drawings and Other Visible Things on Paper Not Necessarily Meant to Be Viewed as Art,” a groundbreaking show at New York City’s School of Visual Arts curated by Mel Bochner, another leading exponent of Conceptualism. Building on radical 20th-century statements, like Fountain (1917) by French artist Marcel Duchamp, Conceptual artists around Europe and North and South America were not interested in the commercial art scene and rather directly challenged its systems and values.

Stretching into the 1970s, this movement has also been called Post-Object art and Dematerialized art. Conceptual art reflected a larger era of social and political upheaval. Pieces associated with the style range from Roelof Louw’s Soul City (Pyramid of Oranges) (1967) — a work of installation art that sees fresh oranges stacked into a pyramid from which visitors are allowed to take one orange away — to On Kawara’s “Today” series, which saw the Japanese artist carefully painting a date in white acrylic on canvases consisting of a single color from 1966 to his death in 2014. Artists such as Ed Ruscha, who created the Twentysix Gasoline Stations book — a collection of photos of gas stations that is widely said to be the first modern artists’ book — made photography a major platform for Conceptual art, as did Bruce Nauman, who burned one of Ruscha's books and then photographed it for his own.

Conceptual art’s legacy of questioning artistic authorship, ownership and how to work with complex ideas of space and time had a significant influence on the decades of culture that followed, and it continues to inform art today.

The collection of Conceptual photography, paintings and sculptures on 1stDibs includes artworks by John Baldessari, Jenny Holzer, Lawrence Weiner, Joseph Kosuth and others.

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Style: Conceptual
Endless Desert Stone, The Dream Art Project
Endless Desert Stone, The Dream Art Project

Endless Desert Stone, The Dream Art Project

By Anne Valverde

Located in New York, NY

The photograph is available in three sizes. The print is proposed as a face-mount; it is mounted to acrylic at the front and Dibond at the back. It is ready to hang with a metal bracket on the wall. Anne Valverde's photograph "Endless" captures the essence of an infinite desert landscape, stretching far beyond the bounds of the frame. The scene is one of stark, natural beauty, dominated by the sweeping dunes and scattered stones that pepper the sand. The neon text 'endless' is inscribed onto the barren desert floor, resonating with the boundless view. The composition of this image is striking in its simplicity and scale, with the gradation of light hinting at the vast expanse of space and time encapsulated within the desert's embrace. The text itself, a human-made construct, contrasts with the timeless and untouched environment, yet it seems to belong there, highlighting the desert's relentless continuum. The photograph, with its subdued tones and soft light, evokes a sense of solitude and introspection. It encourages the viewer to ponder on the concept of eternity and our place within it. The desert is a metaphor for the endless possibilities and the enduring passage of time, a place where one can lose themselves in the horizon that stretches into infinity. "Endless" is not just a visual representation of a desert; it is a reflection on the vastness of nature and the human spirit. Valverde's work prompts a contemplative state, a meditation on the unending cycle of life, and the awe-inspiring scale of the natural world. It is an invitation to explore the depths of our own thoughts and the ceaseless nature of our existence. Since 2015, Valverde has been working on a neon light installation project in several countries, which she materialises through photography. The DREAM ART PROJECT Her portfolio “City Icons” in 2008 brought her work to public attention. A series about Iconic Monuments from Major cities like Paris, New York, Hong Kong, London, Dubaï… Writing with Neon brings together two passions for Anne Valverde: light and words thus incorporating her main medium of expression: Photography. Valverde brings artificial light to areas where electricity is absent, creating a dissonance in the landscape and an unexpected and dreamlike light, creating a new message, independent from preexisting signs and words. Valverde’s first message is "dream", as she invites the viewer to go past reality and reflect on open spaces for escape in a complex and tormented world. Some themes are recurring: an amused gaze on social media omnipresence, hyper-connectivity or even office language shortcuts. This contemplation of the natural landscape suddenly opens up to a perspective on social evolution. By inserting neon lights in her photographs, she initiates a return...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Acrylic Polymer, Neon Light, Archival Paper, Photogra...

Conceptual Artist Allen Ruppersberg Hand Printed Lithograph Prints & Photographs
Conceptual Artist Allen Ruppersberg Hand Printed Lithograph Prints & Photographs

Conceptual Artist Allen Ruppersberg Hand Printed Lithograph Prints & Photographs

By Allen Ruppersberg

Located in Surfside, FL

Allen Ruppersberg (American, 1944-) Lithograph, Mixed media From the Top Ten Historical Similarities (and Differences) Between Prints and Photographs. This sale is of one print not t...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

Mixed Media, Lithograph

Biblioteca Classense, Ravenna

Biblioteca Classense, Ravenna

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Classense Ravenna, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso The...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Classense, Ravenna

Biblioteca Classense, Ravenna

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Classense Ravenna, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso The...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

"Untitled 2.22" Photography 24' x 35' inch Edition of 10 by García De Marina

"Untitled 2.22" Photography 24' x 35' inch Edition of 10 by García De Marina

By García De Marina

Located in Culver City, CA

"Untitled 2.22" Photography 24' x 35' inch Edition of 10 by García De Marina Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artist García de Marina was born in Gijó...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Photography

Materials

Digital Pigment

Birdy Dream, The Dream Art Project
Birdy Dream, The Dream Art Project

Birdy Dream, The Dream Art Project

By Anne Valverde

Located in New York, NY

The photograph is available in three sizes. The print is proposed as a face-mount; it is mounted to acrylic at the front and Dibond at the back. It is ready to hang with a metal bracket on the wall. "Birdy Dream," a photograph by Anne Valverde, captures the ethereal beauty of a mist-enshrouded forest, with the word 'dream' crafted in neon lights, seamlessly integrated into the landscape. Valverde's artistry is evident in her ability to blend the artificial glow of neon with the organic forms of nature, creating a harmonious tableau that whispers of the unseen and the imagined. The forest scene is alive with varying textures of foliage, dominated by the large fronds of ferns that fan out across the frame. The mist rolls through the trees like a gentle tide, blurring lines and softening the world to a palette of muted greens and grays. In this dreamscape, the neon 'dream' is both a literal and figurative illumination—a call to the magic that lies in the heart of the wild. The neon text, positioned amongst the forest floor, is like a secret waiting to be discovered, a reminder that even in the dense and tangled growth, there is space for dreams to take root and flourish. The soft light from the sign pierces the fog, symbolizing clarity and hope amidst uncertainty. Valverde's "Birdy Dream" is a tribute to the quiet strength of nature and the power of dreams to persist in even the most unlikely places. It's a visual poem that invites contemplation, asking the observer to consider the myriad of dreams that live hidden beneath the canopy, in the soul of the forest, and within us all. Since 2015, Valverde has been working on a neon light installation project in several countries, which she materialises through photography. The DREAM ART PROJECT Her portfolio “City Icons” in 2008 brought her work to public attention. A series about Iconic Monuments from Major cities like Paris, New York, Hong Kong, London, Dubaï… Writing with Neon brings together two passions for Anne Valverde: light and words thus incorporating her main medium of expression: Photography. Valverde brings artificial light to areas where electricity is absent, creating a dissonance in the landscape and an unexpected and dreamlike light, creating a new message, independent from preexisting signs and words. Valverde’s first message is "dream", as she invites the viewer to go past reality and reflect on open spaces for escape in a complex and tormented world. Some themes are recurring: an amused gaze on social media omnipresence, hyper-connectivity or even office language shortcuts. This contemplation of the natural landscape suddenly opens up to a perspective on social evolution. By inserting neon lights in her photographs, she initiates a return...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Acrylic Polymer, Neon Light, Archival Paper, Photogra...

Biblioteca della Biennale

Biblioteca della Biennale

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca della Biennale, Venice, Italy 2022 A view of the main table and globe of the main scientific library in the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, named for Italian King Umberto I...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Ortopedica, Bologna, Italy

Biblioteca Ortopedica, Bologna, Italy

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Ortopedica Bologna, Italy 2022 A view of the main table and globe of the main scientific library in the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, named for Italian King Umberto I. The vista is framed between echoing frescoed arched ceilings, cases of scientific volumes, and geometric floor. These sixteenth-century rooms, where the books of the Olivetani Monks were kept, are located in the ancient complex of San Michele in Bosco. They were transformed into an orthopaedic hospital at the end of the nineteenth century. The library holds an important scientific collection...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Marucelliana, Florence

Biblioteca Marucelliana, Florence

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Marucelliana Florence, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso ...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Marucelliana, Florence

Biblioteca Marucelliana, Florence

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Marucelliana Florence, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso ...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Archiginnasio II

Biblioteca Archiginnasio II

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Archiginnasio Bologna, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso ...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Malatestiana, Cesena

Biblioteca Malatestiana, Cesena

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Malatestiana Cesena, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso Reinhard Görner records cultural and industrial heritage through his series of photographs depicting contemporary and historical architecture, landscapes, parks, and plants. Best known for his photographs of libraries and reading rooms from around the world—in works such as George Peabody Library II, Baltimore (2017) and Riggs Library I, Washington DC (2017)—Görner captures the atmosphere of absolute silence and concentration the spaces embody while also revealing their almost cathedral-like sense of grandeur. Görner’s images have a vivid sense of depth and dimension that convey an impression of intimacy, as in Isaac Newton, Cambridge (2017), or monumentality via his precise and skilful use of framing and perspective. This stunning photograph captures a vista through the storied volumes, intricately painted walls, and doorways inside the Biblioteca comunale dell'Archiginnasio (Archiginnasio Municipal Library). The Biblioteca Archiginnasio is a public library located inside the Palace of the Archiginnasio in Bologna, Italy. The largest library in Emilia-Romagna, it boasts some 850,000 volumes and pamphlets, 2,500 incunabula, 15,000 16th century editions, 8,500 manuscripts and then letters, collections of autographs, prints and drawings, and 250 archives. The library has also a section of 7,500 magazines. In 1838 a section of the building was destined to preserve the books collected from Napoleon's closure of the religious orders. Fabled patrons include the cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, Giovanni Gozzadini, Marco Minghetti, Giovanni Pascoli, Jacob Moleschott, Luigi Serra, Laura Bassi, Aurelio Saffi, Riccardo Bacchelli, Pelagio Palagi...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Archiginnasio II

Biblioteca Archiginnasio II

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Archiginnasio Bologna, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso Reinhard Görner records cultural and industrial heritage through his series of photographs depicting contemporary and historical architecture, landscapes, parks, and plants. Best known for his photographs of libraries and reading rooms from around the world—in works such as George Peabody Library II, Baltimore (2017) and Riggs Library I, Washington DC (2017)—Görner captures the atmosphere of absolute silence and concentration the spaces embody while also revealing their almost cathedral-like sense of grandeur. Görner’s images have a vivid sense of depth and dimension that convey an impression of intimacy, as in Isaac Newton, Cambridge (2017), or monumentality via his precise and skilful use of framing and perspective. This stunning photograph captures a vista through the storied volumes, intricately painted walls, and doorways inside the Biblioteca comunale dell'Archiginnasio (Archiginnasio Municipal Library). The Biblioteca Archiginnasio is a public library located inside the Palace of the Archiginnasio in Bologna, Italy. The largest library in Emilia-Romagna, it boasts some 850,000 volumes and pamphlets, 2,500 incunabula, 15,000 16th century editions, 8,500 manuscripts and then letters, collections of autographs, prints and drawings, and 250 archives. The library has also a section of 7,500 magazines. In 1838 a section of the building was destined to preserve the books collected from Napoleon's closure of the religious orders. Fabled patrons include the cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, Giovanni Gozzadini, Marco Minghetti, Giovanni Pascoli, Jacob Moleschott, Luigi Serra, Laura Bassi, Aurelio Saffi, Riccardo Bacchelli, Pelagio Palagi...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Biblioteca Archiginnasio I

Biblioteca Archiginnasio I

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Biblioteca Archiginnasio Bologna, Italy 2022 62.5 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 75 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 87 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso ...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Reinhard Görner 'Inter Arma Charitas' Lisbon, Portugal

Reinhard Görner 'Inter Arma Charitas' Lisbon, Portugal

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Reinhard Görner Inter Arma Charitas Lisbon, Portugal 2014 50 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 60 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 70 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso Paper is trimmed to the image: actual image size listed Internal Search: Reinhard Görner, Library series, Halle, Germany, Large-Scale Photography, Large-scale German photography, German Libraries, German Monuments...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Reinhard Görner 'Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, Spain' (Library, Madrid)

Reinhard Görner 'Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, Spain' (Library, Madrid)

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Reinhard Görner Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid 2017 55 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 66 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 77 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso Paper is trimmed to the image: actual image size listed Internal Search: Reinhard Görner, Library series, Madrid, Spain, Large-Scale Photography, Large-scale German photography, Spanish Libraries...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Reinhard Görner 'Menendez y Pelayo' Madrid

Reinhard Görner 'Menendez y Pelayo' Madrid

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Reinhard Görner Menendez y Pelayo Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid 2017 40 x 60 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 50 x 75 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 signed and numbered on label, verso Paper is tri...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Reinhard Görner 'Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, Spain' (Library, Madrid)

Reinhard Görner 'Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, Spain' (Library, Madrid)

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Reinhard Görner Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid 2017 55 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 66 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9,000 77 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 signed and numbered on label, verso Paper is trimmed to the image: actual image size listed Internal Search: Reinhard Görner, Library series, Madrid, Spain, Large-Scale Photography, Large-scale German photography, Spanish Libraries...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

C Print, Lambda

Amour is Pink, The Dream Art Project
Amour is Pink, The Dream Art Project

Amour is Pink, The Dream Art Project

By Anne Valverde

Located in New York, NY

The photograph is available in three sizes. The print is proposed as a face-mount; it is mounted to acrylic at the front and Dibond at the back. It is ready to hang with a metal bracket on the wall. "Amour is Pink," a tranquil photograph by Anne Valverde, features the serene expanse of a beach at dusk, with the word 'amour'—French for love—spelled out in an understated neon script along the wet sand. The image is steeped in a quiet poignancy, where the vastness of the ocean meets the warmth of the sky, wrapping the scene in a gentle embrace. The sky is a canvas of soft pastels, where the blush of pink clouds hints at the sun's recent departure below the horizon. This celestial spectacle is mirrored by the ocean's surface, creating a symmetry that is both calming and introspective. The neon text 'amour' adds a layer of romanticism to the scene, its reflection on the wet sand doubling its presence, as if to emphasize the strength and depth of the sentiment it represents. Valverde's choice to place the text in such a setting invites contemplation on the nature of love itself—vast, enduring, and reflective of our own feelings. The beach, with its smooth sand and receding tide, suggests a place where emotions can be openly expressed and contemplated, while the encroaching night speaks to the intimacy and quietude that love often craves. "Amour is Pink" is a visual ode to the heart's landscape, where love is as expansive as the sea and as beautifully nuanced as the evening sky. It's a reminder that love, in its many forms, is a fundamental and beautiful part of the human experience, always worthy of reflection and appreciation. Since 2015, Valverde has been working on a neon light installation project in several countries, which she materialises through photography. The DREAM ART PROJECT Her portfolio “City Icons” in 2008 brought her work to public attention. A series about Iconic Monuments from Major cities like Paris, New York, Hong Kong, London, Dubaï… Writing with Neon brings together two passions for Anne Valverde: light and words thus incorporating her main medium of expression: Photography. Valverde brings artificial light to areas where electricity is absent, creating a dissonance in the landscape and an unexpected and dreamlike light, creating a new message, independent from preexisting signs and words. Valverde’s first message is "dream", as she invites the viewer to go past reality and reflect on open spaces for escape in a complex and tormented world. Some themes are recurring: an amused gaze on social media omnipresence, hyper-connectivity or even office language shortcuts. This contemplation of the natural landscape suddenly opens up to a perspective on social evolution. By inserting neon lights in her photographs, she initiates a return...

Category

2010s Conceptual Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Acrylic Polymer, Neon Light, Archival Paper, Photogra...

Virtue, Bode–Museum, Berlin
Virtue, Bode–Museum, Berlin

Virtue, Bode–Museum, Berlin

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Virtue, Bode–Museum, Berlin 50 x 62.5 inches ed. of 10 $6,000 60 x 75 inches ed. of 5 $9,000 70 x 87.5 inches ed. of 5 $11,000 Signed and numbered on label, verso This artwork is...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Photography

Materials

Lambda

Conceptual photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Conceptual photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, green, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Reinhard Görner, Jose Sierra, xulong zhang, and Gianfranco Pezzot. Frequently made by artists working with C Print, and Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Conceptual photography, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $45 and tops out at $46,412, while the average work sells for $3,512.