🎭Art History II – Renaissance to Modern Era Unit 12 – Conceptual and Performance Art

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Conceptual art prioritizes the idea or concept over the finished product, often using language, documentation, or instructions as the primary medium
• Performance art involves an artist performing an action or series of actions, often in front of an audience, with the artist's body serving as the medium
  • Can be scripted or improvised, and may involve audience participation or interaction
• Dematerialization refers to the shift away from traditional art objects and towards ephemeral, process-based, or idea-driven works
• Institutional critique examines and challenges the structures, practices, and power dynamics of art institutions such as museums and galleries
• Happenings were loosely structured, often spontaneous events that blurred the boundaries between art and life, involving audience participation and improvisation
• Fluxus was an international network of artists who embraced experimentation, interdisciplinarity, and the integration of art into everyday life
• Site-specificity refers to artworks that are created for and responsive to a particular location or context, often engaging with the physical, social, or historical aspects of the site

Historical Context and Origins

• Conceptual and performance art emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, building on the ideas of Dada, Surrealism, and the Fluxus movement
• Developed in response to the commodification of art objects and the perceived limitations of traditional art forms
• Influenced by the social and political upheavals of the era, including the civil rights movement, feminism, and anti-war activism
• Challenged the notion of the artist as a singular genius and the artwork as a precious, marketable commodity
• Emphasized the importance of process, collaboration, and audience engagement
• Reflected a growing interest in interdisciplinarity and the breakdown of boundaries between art and other fields such as philosophy, sociology, and anthropology
• Coincided with the rise of postmodernism and its questioning of grand narratives, authorship, and originality

Influential Artists and Movements

• Marcel Duchamp's readymades and conceptual works laid the groundwork for conceptual art (Fountain, 1917)
• John Cage's experimental music and "happenings" inspired the Fluxus movement and the integration of chance and indeterminacy into art (4'33", 1952)
• Yves Klein's monochrome paintings and "Anthropometries" performances explored the body as a medium and the immateriality of art (Anthropometries of the Blue Period, 1960)
• Joseph Beuys' "social sculpture" and performance works emphasized the transformative potential of art and the idea that "everyone is an artist" (I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974)
• Marina Abramović's endurance-based performances pushed the limits of the body and the relationship between artist and audience (Rhythm 0, 1974)
  • Abramović's later works, such as The Artist is Present (2010), continued to explore themes of presence, duration, and the artist-audience encounter
• The Art & Language group used language and text as the primary medium for conceptual investigations (Index 01, 1972)
• The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous collective of female artists, used posters, billboards, and public performances to critique gender and racial inequalities in the art world (Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?, 1989)

Techniques and Mediums

• Conceptual art often employs language, documentation, instructions, or proposals as the primary medium, de-emphasizing the importance of the finished product
• Performance art uses the artist's body as the medium, often involving physical endurance, repetition, or transformation
• Video and photography are frequently used to document ephemeral or time-based works, serving as a record of the artwork rather than the artwork itself
• Happenings and Fluxus events often incorporated everyday objects, actions, and sounds, blurring the boundaries between art and life
• Site-specific works engage with the physical, social, or historical context of a particular location, often using materials or strategies that respond to the site
• Institutional critique employs various tactics, such as interventions, appropriation, or parody, to question the power structures and practices of art institutions
• Collaboration and audience participation are central to many conceptual and performance art practices, challenging traditional notions of authorship and spectatorship

Notable Works and Examples

• Sol LeWitt's wall drawings and instructions emphasized the idea over the execution, with the final work often realized by others following his detailed plans (Wall Drawing #122, 1972)
• Chris Burden's performance works tested the limits of physical and psychological endurance, often involving danger or discomfort (Shoot, 1971; Trans-Fixed, 1974)
• Vito Acconci's performances and video works explored the boundaries between public and private space, and the role of the artist's body (Following Piece, 1969; Seedbed, 1972)
• Martha Rosler's photo-collages and video works critiqued the media's representation of gender, domesticity, and politics (Semiotics of the Kitchen, 1975; Bringing the War Home, 1967-72)
• Hans Haacke's institutional critiques exposed the hidden power structures and financial ties of art museums and corporations (MoMA Poll, 1970; Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971, 1971)
• Mierle Laderman Ukeles' "maintenance art" performances and installations elevated the often-invisible labor of cleaning and caretaking (Hartford Wash: Washing, Tracks, Maintenance: Outside, 1973)
• Tino Sehgal's "constructed situations" involve live encounters between performers and audience members, often without any physical traces or documentation (This Progress, 2010)

Critical Reception and Debates

• Conceptual and performance art challenged traditional definitions of art and the criteria for evaluating artistic merit, leading to heated debates and critical divisions
• Some critics argued that conceptual art prioritized ideas over visual or aesthetic concerns, resulting in works that were dry, academic, or inaccessible
• Others celebrated the democratic and anti-elitist potential of conceptual art, which emphasized the role of the viewer in constructing meaning and challenged the authority of the art establishment
• Performance art faced criticism for its ephemerality and resistance to commodification, as well as its often confrontational or transgressive content
• Feminist artists and critics played a key role in advocating for the recognition of performance art as a legitimate and historically significant practice, challenging the male-dominated canon of art history
• The relationship between documentation and the live event in performance art has been a subject of ongoing debate, with some arguing that documentation can never fully capture the essence of the original performance
• The role of the audience in conceptual and performance art has been a central concern, with artists exploring various strategies for engaging, activating, or implicating the viewer in the work

Impact on Contemporary Art

• Conceptual and performance art laid the groundwork for many contemporary art practices, including installation art, video art, and social practice art
• The emphasis on ideas, process, and context in conceptual art has influenced the way contemporary artists approach their work, often prioritizing research, experimentation, and interdisciplinarity
• Performance art has continued to evolve and expand, with contemporary artists exploring new technologies, collaborative strategies, and forms of audience engagement
• The legacy of institutional critique can be seen in the work of contemporary artists who continue to question and challenge the power structures and biases of the art world
• The use of the body as a medium in performance art has informed contemporary practices such as body art, bio art, and identity-based art
• The participatory and socially engaged strategies of conceptual and performance art have been taken up by contemporary artists working in the field of social practice, who seek to create art that directly intervenes in real-world contexts and communities
• The influence of conceptual and performance art can also be seen in the increasing prominence of time-based, ephemeral, and immaterial practices in contemporary art, as well as the blurring of boundaries between art and other fields such as activism, education, and community organizing

Further Exploration and Resources

• "Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object from 1966 to 1972" by Lucy R. Lippard, a seminal text on the emergence and development of conceptual art
• "The Artist's Body" edited by Tracey Warr and Amelia Jones, an anthology of key texts and documents on the history and theory of performance art
• "Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present" by RoseLee Goldberg, a comprehensive survey of the history of performance art from the early 20th century to the present
• "Institutional Critique: An Anthology of Artists' Writings" edited by Alexander Alberro and Blake Stimson, a collection of texts by artists who have engaged in institutional critique from the 1960s to the present
• "Participation" edited by Claire Bishop, an anthology of texts exploring the history and theory of participatory art practices
• The Museum of Modern Art's online exhibition "Judson Dance Theater: The Work is Never Done," which explores the influential experimental dance and performance art scene in 1960s New York
• The Tate Modern's online resource "Art Term: Conceptual Art," which provides a concise overview of the key ideas and practices of conceptual art
• The Guggenheim Museum's online exhibition "Gutai: Splendid Playground," which showcases the work of the influential Japanese avant-garde collective and their pioneering performance-based practices