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.
Sin título, rhythm, pins,
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Lidzie Alvisa Jiménez (Havana in 1969), one of the most recognized conceptual artists in Cuba, studied from the elementary level to the ISA (Superior Institute of Art), graduating in...
Paper, Ink, Pins
Sin título, rhythm, pins,
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Lidzie Alvisa Jiménez (Havana in 1969), one of the most recognized conceptual artists in Cuba, studied from the elementary level to the ISA (Superior Institute of Art), graduating in...
Paper, Ink, Pins
Arrítmico
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Lidzie Alvisa Jiménez (Havana in 1969), one of the most recognized conceptual artists in Cuba, studied from the elementary level to the ISA (Superior Institute of Art), graduating in...
Paper, Ink, Pins
Sin título, rhythm, pins,
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Lidzie Alvisa Jiménez (Havana in 1969), one of the most recognized conceptual artists in Cuba, studied from the elementary level to the ISA (Superior Institute of Art), graduating in...
Paper, Ink, Pins
Un alto
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Lidzie Alvisa Jiménez (Havana in 1969), one of the most recognized conceptual artists in Cuba, studied from the elementary level to the ISA (Superior Institute of Art), graduating in...
Paper, Ink, Pins
Introspección
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
JUANA MARTÍNEZ (Tlalpujajua, Michoacán, 1953) Lives and works in Tlalpujahua, Michoacán. Juana lives in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, ...
Magazine Paper
El poder de la ofrenda
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
JUANA MARTÍNEZ (Tlalpujajua, Michoacán, 1953) Lives and works in Tlalpujahua, Michoacán. Juana lives in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, ...
Magazine Paper
El sueño de Acteón
By Nadín Ospina
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
He refers to the history of art, particularly to pop culture and the social circumstances of its local environment as well as its universal confrontation. Humor and irony with a crit...
Bronze
Americano 1/7, 2/7, 3/7, 4/7, 5/7
By Nadín Ospina
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
He refers to the history of art, particularly to pop culture and the social circumstances of its local environment as well as its universal confrontation. Humor and irony with a crit...
Bronze
Caimán monstruo americano
By Nadín Ospina
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
He refers to the history of art, particularly to pop culture and the social circumstances of its local environment as well as its universal confrontation. Humor and irony with a crit...
Bronze
Las flores del mal
By Nadín Ospina
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
He refers to the history of art, particularly to pop culture and the social circumstances of its local environment as well as its universal confrontation. Humor and irony with a crit...
Cotton, Color
$6,000
Ideas
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Lidzie Alvisa Jiménez (Havana in 1969), one of the most recognized conceptual artists in Cuba, studied from the elementary level to the ISA (Superior Institute of Art), graduating in...
Canvas, Oil
Casa Blanca (USA)
By Donis Dayán
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Multidisciplinary artist. Twenty years of artistic experience in the Fine Arts. Eight years of practice as a University professor of Fine Arts. Broad knowledge of design software: Ad...
Canvas, Oil
Naturaleza muerta con botella
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Eduardo Costa is one of the key figures in global conceptual art. He was born in Buenos Aires in 1940. He graduated in Literature and Art at the University of Buenos Aires in 1965 where he took courses with Jorge Luis Borges in the late fifties. His practice developed into Conceptual POP with the Fashion Fictions Series, 1966-to the present. He is also credited with creating Conceptual Geometry which he showed internationally starting in 1995 at the Elga Wimmer Gallery, NY, and in 2001 at Cecilia de Torres LTD., NY. With Cecilia de Torres he exhibited a fully developed edition of his Volumetric Paintings, which use painting to such a volume that it stands by itself without any cloth or other support.Eduardo Costa lived twenty-five years in New York and over four years in Rio de Janeiro where he met almost daily with Hélio Oiticica, Lygia Pape...
Acrylic
"NeoRealism (on the Subway)" conceptual, text based work on paper
By David Kramer
Located in New York, NY
38"x25" signed by the artist, David Kramer. (oil, enamel, acrylic, pencil on gessoed paper) In this conceptual work on paper, the text "Keeping it Real...Whatever That Means" is wr...
Enamel
Satirical Text Based Conceptual Painting: "Log Entries..."
By David Kramer
Located in New York, NY
38"x27" signed by the artist, David Kramer. (acrylic, pencil on gessoed paper) In this conceptual work on paper, the text "Handmade Memes... Old World Flavor." is hand drawn to loo...
Paper, Oil, Pencil
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
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
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Orange Storefront, Project, Ediciones Poligrafa, 1979
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Christo and Jeanne-Claude (1935–2020; 1935–2009), titled Facade de magasin orange, projet (Orange Storefront, Project), from the album Ediciones Poligraf...
Lithograph
Leftist Hemisphere Disintegration Study Gerrymandered Version
Located in New York, NY
Ink and watercolor on paper, signed on reverse. Presented floated in a finely crafted hardwood frame. Titled as: "Plot Plan No. 178521 Leftist Hemisphere Disintegration Study Gerry...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
"Hard Shell Confinement Structure"
Located in New York, NY
Potentially Materialized Hard Shell Confinement Structure (Plot Plan No. 10618) framed, pen and ink with watercolor, signed on reverse by the artist. Beautifully rendered in ink an...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Relocation Lasso
Located in New York, NY
Designated Problem Area Relocation Lasso (Plot Plan No. 170520 ) framed, with signature on reverse This ink and watercolor, work on paper is from Patricia Smith's newly released ser...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Rigged Opulence Compartment
Located in New York, NY
"Rigged Opulence Compartment With Temporal Resonance Modules" framed, with signature on reverse This ink and watercolor, work on paper is from Patricia Smith's newly released series...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
$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
Plot Plan No. 13821
Located in New York, NY
Plot Plan No. 13821 For Proposed Positive Aspect Containment Strategy, watercolor and ink on paper, signed on reverse by the artist and presentd framed in a high quality shadowbox fr...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Plot Plan No. 170518
Located in New York, NY
Plot Plan No. 170518 Self-Generating Polarization Structure With Pronounced Left Hemisphere Compartmentalization This ink and watercolor, work on paper is from Patricia Smith's newl...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Plot Plan No. 10616
Located in New York, NY
Plot Plan No. 10616 Potentially Materialized Triple Chamber Confinement Study This ink and watercolor, work on paper is from Patricia Smith's newly released series: "Shelter in...
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Elmwood and Oaklawn
By Ross Racine
Located in New York, NY
archival pigment print image size: 23.5"x 31.5" on 26.75"x 34.5" sheet edition of 10 available unframed This print is a surreal depiction of an aerial view of a ...
Archival Pigment
Mesh Wonder Ball (1510)
By Joanne Ungar
Located in New York, NY
beeswax, paraffin, cardboard on wood 8.25"x7.75" Joanne Ungar’s use of wax obscures and mystifies the origin of the materials she has imbedded. In this work, the composition is d...
Cardboard, Wax, Wood
$1,650
To The River
By Ross Racine
Located in New York, NY
edition of 5 available unframed image size: 23 1/2" x 31 1/2" Ross Racine is an artist living in Montreal (Quebec), Canada, and New York. Racine's works are drawn freehand on a ...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$1,200
Bulb
Located in New York, NY
Walker Pickering is an artist and educator based in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he has taught photography sinc...
Archival Pigment
Untitled
By Mario Bedini
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
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
Mixed Media
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
Mixed Media
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
Mixed Media
El paseo de la niña
Located in Barcelona, CT
the painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Color
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
Oil
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
Eva al desnudo
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Acrylic
Niño a caballo
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
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
Mixed Media
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
Untitled
By Lluis Barba
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Ink
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Lithograph
They grey square
By Juan Canals
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Mixed Media
Humanoids
By Juan Canals
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
Lithograph
Esculturas- Noviembre - Diciembre 1974
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Lithograph