6
Populär Culture Review
Figure 1 Detail of An Olfactory Map of Life. Photograph by Monika Lozinska-Lee
The History of the Idea of Conceptual Art
In conceptual art, the idea driving the art is usually taken to be more
important than the work of art itself. One might even say that the idea is the
work of art itself and thus any physical object becomes superfluous. That is,
someone could have the idea of constructing a map that could be navigated by
means of smell, and though the particular sensory way of interacting with such a
work of art might seem to be central to the art itself, it is truly more about the
idea of an olfactory map than about actually smelling anything. One could read
the description of such an installation and legitimately ask, “How much have I
missed by not actually, physically interacting with the objects as they have been
described?”
The idea behind conceptual art is thus not only central to the art but
seems to have become the aesthetic object itself. As a one-sentence definition of
the movement, this does about as good a job as any of defining what is meant by
“conceptual art;” yet it also leaves far too much unsaid. Ideas are always
important in art. And is it truly the case that art can consist of merely ideas?
It is unclear when conceptual art per se began. Most art historians argue
that the work of Marcel Duchamp, close to a Century ago, marked its birth. The
idea, that is, behind hanging a urinal on a museum wall and calling it a
“Fountain” seems to be more important than the actual fountain itself. As an
audience, we do not miss much by not getting to see the urinal. Hearing or
reading about it seems almost sufficient in and of itself; in other words, the work