Style & movement
Conceptual art
Art in which the idea or enquiry behind the work matters more than its traditional form or craft execution.
- Category
- Style & movement
- Index letter
- C
Understanding the term
A conceptual work may consist of text, instructions, documentation, an action or a temporary installation. The physical object is not always the whole work, so certificates, photographs and precise instructions can be essential to its identity.
When Conceptual art is used as a style label, it points to a family of formal qualities and ideas rather than a fixed recipe. Periods and movements overlap, and a single work may draw on several styles.
The label becomes more precise when considered alongside date, composition, colour, materials and historical context. A style can inspire work long after its original period, so appearance alone does not date an object.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.