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Conceptual Art

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
Fritz Horstman, Formwork for the East River, 2017, Wood, Latex Paint, Wood Panel
Fritz Horstman, Formwork for the East River, 2017, Wood, Latex Paint, Wood Panel

Fritz Horstman, Formwork for the East River, 2017, Wood, Latex Paint, Wood Panel

By Fritz Horstman

Located in Darien, CT

While working on a large building project several years ago the artist, Fritz Horstman was struck by the poetry in the unfinished state of the construction site. He was drawn specifically to the space between the plywood walls that were raised as formworks for the pouring of cement. That space could only exist for a few hours before the cement truck arrived, but in that moment it was a revolving abstraction of potential, delineation, growth, and destruction. Once filled it was gone: the plywood was stripped away, the earth was backfilled. To suspend that moment he began building models of formworks. Leaving them unfilled, they are perpetually unfinished. From models based directly on architecture, Horstman expanded to forms found in the landscape. Making a formwork that depicts constraint upon the landscape is not exactly a reversal of the formwork’s function, but it asks different questions than a formwork designed for a building would. Why would you make a cement creek? What is the relationship between a flowing creek and poured cement? Is this a barrier or just delineation? For River Woman ODETTA, in addition to several small sculptures in the Flat File, Horstman will install Formwork for the East River, which describes that river’s shape as it flows from Rikers Island to the tip of Manhattan. The 3 x 18 x 7 foot sculpture...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Wood, Latex, Wood Panel

Shaman
Shaman

Shaman

By John Petrey

Located in Rye, NY

John Petrey’s Shaman is a striking mixed-media sculpture that merges mythology, ritual, and contemporary artistry. The figure wears a robe of richly patterned patchwork, assembled fr...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Ceramic, Leather, Fabric, Found Objects, Mixed Media

Blue menina
Blue menina

Blue menina

Located in Barcelona, CT

This artwork presents a stylized figure set against a striking, abstract backdrop. Dominating the canvas, the central figure is adorned in a voluminous, deep blue skirt, evoking a re...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Japanese Contemporary Art By Kojun - Shiko 678
Japanese Contemporary Art By Kojun - Shiko 678

Japanese Contemporary Art By Kojun - Shiko 678

By Kojun

Located in Paris, IDF

Lego, plastic model, gold leaf, noodle, resin, paper, wood Central piece: W95 × D95 × H195 mm Side pieces: W80 × D85 × H77 mm This collaborative work, which began with a common interest in Buddhism, explored the idea of expressing the sacred within everyday life. As artist and Zen monk...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Athenæum, Boston
Athenæum, Boston

Athenæum, Boston

By Reinhard Görner

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Athenæum, Boston 50 x 50 inches ed. of 10 $6000 60 x 60 inches ed. of 7 $9000 70 x 70 inches ed. of 5 $11000 signed and numbered on label, verso Paper is trimmed to the image: a...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

C Print, Lambda

"Primavera" Landscape by Alvaro Peppoloni
"Primavera" Landscape by Alvaro Peppoloni

"Primavera" Landscape by Alvaro Peppoloni

Located in Pasadena, CA

Alvaro Peppoloni, is an Italian Postwar & Contemporary artist, born in 1951, who now finds his artistic sanctuary in Castel Ritaldi, an Italian commune nestled within the Perugia pro...

Category

1990s Conceptual Art

Materials

Oil

Japanese Contemporary Art by Kojun - Kensho 2249
Japanese Contemporary Art by Kojun - Kensho 2249

Japanese Contemporary Art by Kojun - Kensho 2249

By Kojun

Located in Paris, IDF

Inkjet print of digtial photgraph on Kakejikuya kozo washi with origami backing paper Kojun is an self-taught multimédia American artist born in 1977 based in Tokyo, Japan since 199...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Inkjet

Path. Oil on canvas, 90x110 cm
Path. Oil on canvas, 90x110 cm

Path. Oil on canvas, 90x110 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Path. Oil on canvas, 90x110 cm Victor Karnauh (1950, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR – 2012, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) – a painter, a monume...

Category

1990s Conceptual Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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

Amour is Pink, The Dream Art Project

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 Art

Materials

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

Well Before….the Trusty S.C.O.R.E.* Crows
Well Before….the Trusty S.C.O.R.E.* Crows

Well Before….the Trusty S.C.O.R.E.* Crows

By Michael Beam

Located in Buffalo, NY

Peenemunde 1943—During World War II, German rocketeers developed Vergeltungswaffen or "V" weapons at the German rocket facility Peenemunde, built in 1937. The first civilian employee...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Canvas, Found Objects, Mixed Media, Oil

Cosa Mentale (Abstract Photography)
Cosa Mentale (Abstract Photography)

Cosa Mentale (Abstract Photography)

By Gianfranco Pezzot

Located in London, GB

Cosa Mentale (Abstract Photography) Archival Pigment Print on Ilford Smooth Pearl paper — Unframed. Edition 6 + 2 AP This work is part of the "Humanistic Reciprocity". This series...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Paper, Archival Pigment

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

Birdy Dream, The Dream Art Project

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 Art

Materials

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

El Grito De La Gitana, from Corazon Sagrado series by Delilah Montoya, 1993
El Grito De La Gitana, from Corazon Sagrado series by Delilah Montoya, 1993

El Grito De La Gitana, from Corazon Sagrado series by Delilah Montoya, 1993

By Delilah Montoya

Located in Denton, TX

This image is a collotype print from Delilah Montoya's series, Corazon Sagrado, and is edition 1/1. It is signed, titled, dated and numbered in pencil on print margin by Delilah Montoya. This collotype print features a woman in a dress dancing in front of a backdrop on a checkered floor...

Category

1990s Conceptual Art

Materials

Other Medium

Rare Abstract Judaica Hebrew Calligraphy Modernist Painting
Rare Abstract Judaica Hebrew Calligraphy Modernist Painting

Rare Abstract Judaica Hebrew Calligraphy Modernist Painting

By William Proweller

Located in Surfside, FL

Abstracted colorful painting of the first verse of the Shema Prayer. (VeAhavta... and you shall love...) William Proweller is an associate professor of art history at S.U.N.Y., Fred...

Category

20th Century Conceptual Art

Materials

Other Medium

Silent Grace - 21st Century, Contemporary Oil and African Women Fabrics, Floral
Silent Grace - 21st Century, Contemporary Oil and African Women Fabrics, Floral

Silent Grace - 21st Century, Contemporary Oil and African Women Fabrics, Floral

By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

The Silent Grace captures the serene profile of a woman, adorned in a bright yellow dress and matching hat, embellished with vibrant patterns. Her deep purple complexion contrasts be...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic

Self Portrait, Untitled VIII. La Costilla Roja Series. Nude Color Photograph
Self Portrait, Untitled VIII. La Costilla Roja Series. Nude Color Photograph

Self Portrait, Untitled VIII. La Costilla Roja Series. Nude Color Photograph

By Jose Sierra

Located in Miami Beach, FL

This work is the result of an artistic residence outside his 'study'.The artist worked on a different ecosystem, a house of vernacular architecture built in 1913 in the department of...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Barbie in a Box - 3D Ltd Ed 5/10

Barbie in a Box - 3D Ltd Ed 5/10

By Reisig and Taylor

Located in New York, NY

An homage to the famed Barbie Doll. About the Artists: Animated through an assemblage of analog, digital, and lenticular photographic technologies, these selections from Reisig a...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Lenticular

Limited Edition Japanese Photography, #189 Yunoyani Village, Nigata Prefecture
Limited Edition Japanese Photography, #189 Yunoyani Village, Nigata Prefecture

Limited Edition Japanese Photography, #189 Yunoyani Village, Nigata Prefecture

By Toshio Shibata

Located in New york, NY

The photograph Toshio Shibata, #189 Yunoyani Village, Nigata Prefecture, 1989 by Japanese photographer Toshio Shibata is hand-signed (on recto) by the photographer. The 13" x 19" pri...

Category

1980s Conceptual Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Pigment, Arc...

Untitled

Untitled

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Oil

Diversity (Blue)

Diversity (Blue)

By Oleg Lobykin

Located in Napa, CA

Oleg Lobykin (Russian, b. 1966) is a sculptor. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Lobykin now resides in Silicon Valley and also specializes in the restoration of landmark architecture ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Fiberglass

Audrey

Audrey

By Karl Soderlund

Located in New York, NY

Audrey Hepburn. Portrait. Abstract Feel. Oil on Linen. Sides painted black. About the Artist: Karl has been a fine artist his entire life and is well known for his portraits, seascapes and landscapes. Karl’s numerous accomplishments are evident; You can find his work hanging in over 300 public and private collections, including Interpublic Companies, Merrill Lynch, PepsiCo and the Heisman Trophy...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By William Wegman

Located in Toronto, Ontario

William Wegman (b. 1943) is an American photographer celebrated for his whimsical images of his beloved Weimaraner dogs. This photograph is from Wegman's "Improved Photographs" seri...

Category

1970s Conceptual Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Pont Neuf 1985 (1995-2020) (signed)
Pont Neuf 1985 (1995-2020) (signed)

Pont Neuf 1985 (1995-2020) (signed)

By Christo

Located in Woodbury, CT

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Pont Neuf, 2020 Lithograph, Edition of 450 Signed and numbered in pencil to margin Published to coincide with the artist's exhibition at the Centre Pompido...

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Lithograph

Medaglia D Oro - Whiskers, Stallion Studio Portrait

Medaglia D Oro - Whiskers, Stallion Studio Portrait

Located in London, GB

Medaglia d'Oro (foaled April 11, 1999) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won several major stakes races including the 2002 Travers Stakes and the 2003 Whitney Handicap. He also finished second in the 2002 Belmont Stakes, the Breeders' Cup Classic in both 2002 and 2003, and the 2004 Dubai World Cup. Since retiring to stud, he has become an excellent stallion whose progeny include 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, two-time champion filly Songbird and two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty. Medaglia d'Oro - 'Whiskers' by John Reardon...

Category

Early 2000s Conceptual Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Archival P...

Seeking Perfection -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman Modern
Seeking Perfection -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman Modern

Seeking Perfection -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman Modern

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Seeking Perfection portrays a young lady clutching a book titled How to Behave on a First Date, her expression a mixture of hope and apprehension. This artwork explores the societal ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Canvas, Archival Ink, Acrylic

The Kaddish, Conceptual Screenprint Monoprint by Unknown Artist
The Kaddish, Conceptual Screenprint Monoprint by Unknown Artist

The Kaddish, Conceptual Screenprint Monoprint by Unknown Artist

Located in Long Island City, NY

Unknown Artist - The Kaddish, Medium: Screenprint Monoprint, signed in ink lower right, Size: 44 x 30.25 in. (111.76 x 76.84 cm)

Category

1990s Conceptual Art

Materials

Monoprint, Screen

Large Mixed Media Construction Sculpture Painting Ike Ude African American Art
Large Mixed Media Construction Sculpture Painting Ike Ude African American Art

Large Mixed Media Construction Sculpture Painting Ike Ude African American Art

By Iké Udé

Located in Surfside, FL

Iké Udé (1964- Nigerian American) Hand signed and dated 1993 on verso. Large carved and painted abstract wood sculptural construction Dimensions: 58 X 26 X 3 inches The work of Nig...

Category

1990s Conceptual Art

Materials

Thread, Paint, Mixed Media

Pearl - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love, Floral
Pearl - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love, Floral

Pearl - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love, Floral

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic

Cave paintings on paper, Indian ink, hand drawing, leather papyrus style
Cave paintings on paper, Indian ink, hand drawing, leather papyrus style

Cave paintings on paper, Indian ink, hand drawing, leather papyrus style

Located in Carballo, ES

Obsessive, meticulous, almost monastic, Kramer immerses us in a universe of graphic and sculptural repetitions. His drawings on kraft paper glued with rabbit glue recall both ancient...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Ink, Handmade Paper

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Julio Castillo

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Conceptual Art

Materials

Metal

Anatomical bodies in Indian ink on paper, antique papyrus, human being
Anatomical bodies in Indian ink on paper, antique papyrus, human being

Anatomical bodies in Indian ink on paper, antique papyrus, human being

Located in Carballo, ES

Obsessive, meticulous, almost monastic, Kramer immerses us in a universe of graphic and sculptural repetitions. His drawings on kraft paper glued with rabbit glue recall both ancient...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Ink, Handmade Paper

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Tony Hernandez

Located in Atlanta, GA

tony hernandez was born in Atlanta in 1964 and has been painting professionally since 1988. while he is a southern artist, his works are far from the re...

Category

20th Century Conceptual Art

Materials

Mixed Media

"Untitled 3.16" Photography 24' x 16' inch Edition of 15 by García De Marina

"Untitled 3.16" Photography 24' x 16' inch Edition of 15 by García De Marina

By García De Marina

Located in Culver City, CA

"Untitled 3.16" 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 Gijó...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Conceptual art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Conceptual art 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 art 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, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Reinhard Görner, Kojun, Jose Sierra, and xulong zhang. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint 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 art, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for art 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 $500,000, while the average work sells for $2,465.