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.
V: Dogmatic thinking
Located in London, GB
Digital C-Type print on Archival Pigment Print. Unframed. This abstract work is part of the series titled Dichotomy of a Human Brain. It was created by combining fragments of pho...
Paper, Archival Pigment
Muscle Man and Female Admirer at the Beach - Staged Photography
By Robert Funk
Located in Miami, FL
A ripped muscleman strikes the pose with an admiring female bystander who holds an oversized pair of prank sunglasses. In reality, the muscleman is a 5-inch cut-out, and the girl is ...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
VI: Utter Blindness
Located in London, GB
Archival Pigment Print on Ilford Smooth Pearl paper. Unframed. This abstract work is part of the series titled Dichotomy of a Human Brain. It was created by combining fragments o...
Archival Pigment, Paper
$18,000
Tondo Stars
By Sol LeWitt
Located in London, GB
Signed and numbered 6 colours each Paper: Somerset Satin, White, 300 grams Printers: Eisaku Sakane, assisted by Keigo Takahashhi & Chie Shimizu, Watanbe Studio, New York Completed 8th November 2002 Published by Bernard Jacobson Ltd., London, and Parasol Press...
Linocut
We Now Have All The Data
By Stephen Hall
Located in New York, NY
Conceptual piece. Commentary on life. Humorous but impactful. Acrylic on canvas. About the artist: Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Stephen Hall moved to New York in 1978 and began...
Canvas, Acrylic
Rose Gold Release (other sizes available upon request)
Located in New York, NY
Digital Art. Female theme. Blue hue. Produced on metal with white 2 inch border. About the Artist: Chad is more than just a freelance artist, he is the Head of 3D Design at Nike and not so long ago retired from an exciting career as a professional skateboarder that ran from 1998-2011. Nowadays, when he isn’t working for Nike, his unique artwork is enjoyed by people around the world. Chad Knight...
Metal
"The Thoughts in My Head #41 Standing Next to You" conceptual text painting
By Lisa Levy
Located in New York, NY
This Conceptual Text based painting features the words "When you look here imagine me standing next to you" in white over a royal blue background ...
Acrylic, Canvas
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Pose
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Acrylic
Esculturas- Noviembre - Diciembre 1974
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Lithograph
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
$529
"Chromatic Explosion n. 3" by Corrado Ferrante, original, mixed media on paper
Located in Milano, MI
"Chromatic Explosion n. 3" - Dynamic Abstract Composition by Corrado Ferrante A captivating burst of energy radiates from this vibrant abstract work by Italian artist Corrado Ferran...
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
Heart Factory
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Joyce Wieland (1931-1998) is one of the most accomplished and versatile Canadian artists. She achieved a level of commercial and critical success in her lifetime that was exceptional...
Ink, Watercolor
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered witha work and authenticity certificate
Oil
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Ligne droites – Dispersions
By Bernar Venet
Located in Paris, FR
The artist's first and only tapestry, this woven work undeniably represents a major break in his practice, marking his desire to explore new territories. It is not a matter of retran...
Textile
Resist
Located in New York, NY
Mixed Media. Female centric. About the Artist: Cabell Molina is a contemporary artist transplanted from California to the east. Where Cabell has proved herself exceptional is ...
Mixed Media
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Lithograph
Humanoids
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
For F From F
By General Idea
Located in Toronto, Ontario
In 1967, General Idea was founded in Toronto by AA Bronson (b. 1946), Felix Partz (1945-1994), and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994). Over the course of 25 years, they made a significant cont...
Polaroid
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Limpopo, 2021
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Style: Contemporary, Modern, Conceptual Small study for the series “Rare Earth"
Metal
Not If But When
By Alex Gingrow
Located in New York, NY
graphite, flashe, ink and gesso on paper, 22"x30" signed by the artist The text in this painting reads like a mantra: Not If But When, in grades of red, pink and blue on a washed gre...
Gesso, Ink, Graphite
Six Rooms, 1993 6 Offset Lithographs by John Baldessari
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION John Baldessari Six Rooms 1993 Suite of 6 color offset lithographs with varnish and handwritten text 21 x 17 1/4 in. each Edition of 150 Pencil signed and numb...
Lithograph, Offset, Varnish
Still Pretty Though
By Alex Gingrow
Located in New York, NY
graphite, flashe, ink and gesso on paper, 22"x30" signed by the artist The text in this painting reads: still pretty though, painted in stark capital letters faded into the backgroun...
Gesso, Ink, Graphite
Conceptual Text Based Painting "Lousy Director"
By David Kramer
Located in New York, NY
38"x28" signed by the artist, David Kramer. (oil, acrylic, enamel, pencil on gessoed paper) In this conceptual work on paper, the imagery of a film director is overwritten with the ...
Paper, Oil, Pencil
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
$1,059
Nets
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with work and authenticity certificate
Metal
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Etching
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Lithograph
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Engraving
They grey square
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media, Watercolor
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
the painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink, Mixed Media
Canyon Whisper - Other sizes available
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Nature shot. In a canyon. Black and white. About the artist: Mital Patel is an internationally recognized nature and wildlife photographer who focuses on capturing bea...
Archival Pigment
Art Against AIDS
By General Idea
Located in Toronto, Ontario
In 1967, General Idea was founded in Toronto by AA Bronson (b. 1946), Felix Partz (1945-1994), and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994). Over the course of 25 years, they made a significant cont...
Screen
$3,950
"Dual Chamber Confinement Study" watercolor ink, text based conceptual painting
Located in New York, NY
Titled: For All Intents and Purposes Dual Chamber Confinement Study Plot Plan No. 10615, presenting framed in a natural wood shadowbox frame. This is a finely rendered pen and ink ...
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Falling Star, 1989-90 Mixed Media Print by John Baldessari
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION John Baldessari Falling Star 1989-1990 Sugar-lift, spit-bite, aquatint in colors and photogravure, on torn Somerset Satin paper w...
Aquatint, Photogravure
Traveling Landscape (Sunseeker)
Located in New York, NY
This sculptural installation incorporates running water and and interior light which activates the scene of a streambed along a grassy knoll. Kathleen Vance is an environmental artist who creates projects that connect people to local aspects of nature that are overlooked or under appreciated. With the series “Traveling Landscapes” Vance creates miniature landscapes with running streams and rivers inside vintage suitcases and trunks...
Mixed Media
Untitled, MT Inv. No 11-1-120 – Miroslav Tichy, Woman, Czech, Photography
Located in Zurich, CH
Miroslav Tichý (*1926, Czech Republic) Untitled, MT Inv. No 11-1-120 Unknown, ca. 1970-1990 Silver Gelatin Print Sheet 17,9 x 13 cm (7 x 5 1/8 in.) Unique Print only Tichý, pract...
Silver Gelatin
Stahl - 3D
Located in New York, NY
Depiction of a kind of life. About the Artists: Animated through an assemblage of analog, digital, and lenticular photographic technologies, these selections from Reisig and Tayl...
Lenticular
$9,500
West Release
Located in New York, NY
Digital Art. Female Form in water. See reflection. Produced on metal with white 2 inch border. About the Artist: Chad is more than just a freelance ar...
Metal
Biblioteca del Duca D'Aumale Terrasini
Located in New York, NY
The photographer is based in Florence, and is fascinated how his architectural subject matter allows him to control the composition of his image. For many years he has photographed ...
C Print
Hockey Stick Blades
By Greg Curnoe
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Greg Curnoe (1936-1992) was a highly revered artist, bookmaker and competitive cyclist. He was based in London, Ontario but beloved across the country. He would represent Canada at the Venice Biennale in 1976. Unwavering in his allegiance to the Canadian/local art scene, Curnoe led the London Regionalism movement alongside fellow artists such as Jack Chambers, Tony Urquhart...
Rubber, Ink
Untitled, MT Inv. No 7-8-73 – Miroslav Tichy, Woman, Czech, Photography
Located in Zurich, CH
Miroslav Tichý (*1926, Czech Republic) Untitled, MT Inv. No 7-8-73 Unknown, ca. 1970-1990 Silver Gelatin Print Sheet 29,3 x 19,7 cm (11 1/2 x 7 3/4 in.) Unique Print only Tichý, practically reinventing photography from scratch, reconstitutes pictorialism along with it, and not as a distortion of the medium but as something like its essence. What counts for him is not only the image - just one moment in the photographic process - but also the chemical activity of the materials, which is never entirely stable or complete, and the delimitation of the results via cropping and framing. Marginal and exceptionally voyeuristic, in his methods Tichý could be described as an “art brut photographer” yet he is also marked by classical influences. Though his images are produced with poor-quality equipment and carelessly shot, they offer an idiosyncratic and almost hallucinatory vision of a fantastical, eroticised reality. With his endless return to the same subject and the volume and regularity of his production, Tichý’s work draws many parallels to certain practices of conceptual art during the same period. – Art, Black and White...
Silver Gelatin
$1,850
"Untitled 3.18" Photography 24' x 16' inch Edition of 15 by García De Marina
Located in Culver City, CA
"Untitled 3.18" Photography 24' x 16' inch Edition of 15 by García De Marina Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the artist García de Marina was born in Gij...
Digital Pigment
Untitled, MT Inv. No 7-6-88 – Miroslav Tichy, Woman, Czech, Photography
Located in Zurich, CH
Miroslav Tichý (*1926, Czech Republic) Untitled, MT Inv. No 7-6-88 Unknown, ca. 1970-1990 Silver Gelatin Print Sheet 17 x 10,3 cm (6 3/4 x 4 in.) Unique Print only Tichý, practic...
Silver Gelatin
Stargazing - Lego Art - Original - C-3PO From Star Wars movie.
Located in New York, NY
Stargazing - Lego Art - Original - C-3PO- From Star Wars Movie. Made completely of legos. About the Artist: Joseph Kraham is an "engineering artist...
Mixed Media
Untitled, MT Inv. No 2-059 – Miroslav Tichy, Woman, Czech, Photography
Located in Zurich, CH
Miroslav Tichý (*1926, Czech Republic) Untitled, MT Inv. No 2-059 Unknown, ca. 1970-1990 Silver Gelatin Print Sheet 19,6 x 12,5 cm (7 3/4 x 4 7/8 in.) Unique Print only Tichý, practically reinventing photography from scratch, reconstitutes pictorialism along with it, and not as a distortion of the medium but as something like its essence. What counts for him is not only the image - just one moment in the photographic process - but also the chemical activity of the materials, which is never entirely stable or complete, and the delimitation of the results via cropping and framing. Marginal and exceptionally voyeuristic, in his methods Tichý could be described as an “art brut photographer” yet he is also marked by classical influences. Though his images are produced with poor-quality equipment and carelessly shot, they offer an idiosyncratic and almost hallucinatory vision of a fantastical, eroticised reality. With his endless return to the same subject and the volume and regularity of his production, Tichý’s work draws many parallels to certain practices of conceptual art during the same period. – Art, Black and White...
Silver Gelatin
Wish Not to Be Disturbed for the Duration of Winter - Playboy Cartoon
Located in Miami, FL
Gahan Wilson was the Master of the macabre, and most of his work is associated with Charles Addams. The beauty of a Gahan Wilson is that is a payoff pu...
Ink, Gouache, Color Pencil, Paper
Untitled, MT Inv. No 3-8-236 – Miroslav Tichy, Woman, Czech, Photography
Located in Zurich, CH
Miroslav Tichý (*1926, Czech Republic) Untitled, MT Inv. No 3-8-236 Unknown, ca. 1970-1990 Silver Gelatin Print Sheet 16,8 x 11,8 cm (6 5/8 x 4 5/8 in.) Unique Print only Tichý, practically reinventing photography from scratch, reconstitutes pictorialism along with it, and not as a distortion of the medium but as something like its essence. What counts for him is not only the image - just one moment in the photographic process - but also the chemical activity of the materials, which is never entirely stable or complete, and the delimitation of the results via cropping and framing. Marginal and exceptionally voyeuristic, in his methods Tichý could be described as an “art brut photographer” yet he is also marked by classical influences. Though his images are produced with poor-quality equipment and carelessly shot, they offer an idiosyncratic and almost hallucinatory vision of a fantastical, eroticised reality. With his endless return to the same subject and the volume and regularity of his production, Tichý’s work draws many parallels to certain practices of conceptual art during the same period. – Art, Black and White...
Silver Gelatin
Homage to Hannelore Baron : mixed media collage
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary work of art by Christine Graf. A collage work of art created using rust, string and vintage book. Graf skillfully employs unconventional m...
Mixed Media, Thread, Paper
RIC: Random Internet Cat #9
Located in New York, NY
Random Internet Cats Robotically-fabricated drawings on paper, these series formally deal with mediation from screen image to ‘drawing’ while using a computer-controlled pen plotte...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper
Cool Ducks
By Jim Molloy
Located in New York, NY
2 cool ducks floating. Fun. About the Artist: Jim Molloy is a studio and plein air painter. "I like to try to find and capture the beauty and simplicity of the world around u...
Canvas, Oil
$2,350
"Untitled 1.23" Photography 24' x 35' inch Edition of 10 by García De Marina
Located in Culver City, CA
"Untitled 1.23" Photography 24' x 35' inch Edition of 10 by García De Marina García de Marina was born in Gijón (Spain) in 1975. He emerged thru a deep transformation in 2010. A dor...
Digital Pigment
Untitled, MT Inv. No 10-1-167 – Miroslav Tichy, Woman, Czech, Photography
Located in Zurich, CH
Miroslav Tichý (*1926, Czech Republic) Untitled, MT Inv. No 10-1-167 Unknown, ca. 1970-1990 Silver Gelatin Print Sheet 17,7 x 17,8 cm (7 x 7 in.) Unique Print only Tichý, practically reinventing photography from scratch, reconstitutes pictorialism along with it, and not as a distortion of the medium but as something like its essence. What counts for him is not only the image - just one moment in the photographic process - but also the chemical activity of the materials, which is never entirely stable or complete, and the delimitation of the results via cropping and framing. Marginal and exceptionally voyeuristic, in his methods Tichý could be described as an “art brut photographer” yet he is also marked by classical influences. Though his images are produced with poor-quality equipment and carelessly shot, they offer an idiosyncratic and almost hallucinatory vision of a fantastical, eroticised reality. With his endless return to the same subject and the volume and regularity of his production, Tichý’s work draws many parallels to certain practices of conceptual art during the same period. – Art, Black and White...
Silver Gelatin
"Alphabet Colors, " Crayon, Colored Pencil, Ink on Canvas by Tom Shelton
By Tom Shelton
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Alphabet Colors" is an original mixed media drawing on canvas by Tom Shelton. The artist used crayon, colored pencil, and ink. The artist says: “Looking at cursive writing teachin...
Canvas, Crayon, Ink, Color Pencil