“The idea becomes the machine that makes the art,” wrote Sol LeWitt in 1967. This metaphor describes a concept shared among many international artists, filmmakers, performers, and composers: that the idea was the work of art. Sometimes, the artists in this gallery realized their theories by creating objects. At other times, they documented ephemeral actions in photographs or on video. In still other instances, they made language their subject, producing multiples, publications, posters, and postcards intended to circulate to a mass audience. By emphasizing the context surrounding the creation of the work, these artists addressed various social issues, such as inequality, and race and gender politics.
Organized by Yasmil Raymond, Associate Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, with Ana Torok, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Drawings and Prints.
