Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Pandgt;Conceptual art was one of the most influential art movements of the second half of the twentieth century. In this book Alexander Alberro traces its origins to the mid-1960s, when its principles were first articulated by the artists Dan Graham, Joseph Kosuth, Sol LeWitt, Lawrence Weiner, and others. One of Alberro's central arguments is that the conceptual art movement was founded not just by the artists but also by the dealer Seth Siegelaub. Siegelaub promoted the artists, curated groundbreaking shows, organized symposia and publications, and in many ways set the stage for another kind of entrepreneur: the freelance curator. Alberro examines both Siegelaub's role in launching the careers of artists who were making "something from nothing" and his tactful business practices, particularly in marketing and advertising.Alberro draws on close readings of artworks produced by key conceptual artists in the mid- to late 1960s. He places the movement in the social context of the rebellion against existing cultural institutions, as well as the increased commercialization and globalization of the art world. The book ends with a discussion of one of Siegelaub's most material and least ephemeral contributions, the Artist's Reserved Rights Transfer and Sale Agreement, which he wrote between 1969 and 1971. Designed to limit the inordinate control of collectors, galleries, and museums by increasing the artist's rights, the Agreement unwittingly codified the overlap between capitalism and the arts.andlt;/Pandgt;
Review
"This is in many ways a bold and suggestive book." Peter Osborne Artforum The MIT Press
Review
andquot;This is in many ways a bold and suggestive book.andquot;
-- Peter Osborne, Artforum
Review
"This scholarly text on a little-examined topic draws fascinating parallels between the art world and postindustrial capitalism and telecommunications." Gregg Sapp Library Journal The MIT Press
Review
A valuable contribution to the literature on conceptual art. The MIT Press
Review
"Alberro does a surprisingly good job of putting into perspective and recording the Conceptual Art movement."
— Gina Vivinetto, St. Petersburg Times"This is in many ways a bold and suggestive book."
— Peter Osborne, Artforum"This scholarly text on a little-examined topic draws fascinating parallels between the art world and postindustrial capitalism and telecommunications."
— Gregg Sapp, Library Journal"A valuable contribution to the literature on conceptual art."
— Michael Dashkin, Library Journal
Review
"Gammel successfully revivifies the life and work of this maverick feminist, who wrote evocative experimental poetry, constructed vibrant assemblage art, and enacted herself dramatically throughout the streets and salons of New York in the WWI period. She convincingly demonstrates the Baroness's impact as an original artist, poet, and performer of Dada. This book is a must for all scholars of literary modernism and the Dada movement, but is also terrifically entertaining to read."--Amelia Jones, Professor of Art History, University of California, Riverside The MIT Press
Review
"This is the most rigorous history of conceptual art in print, and an important addition to the literature on postwar art."--Pamela Lee, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University The MIT Press
Review
"*Conceptual Art and the Politics of Publicity* offers a detailed account of the complex relationship between the official Conceptual Art movement in New York City and the concomitant social and economic pressures of burgeoning late capitalism. Through clear prose and precise arguments, Alberro traces the intricate links among the conceptual artists and the entrepreneurs who marketed their work, thoughtfully exploring the contradictions these relationships entailed. Most importantly, the book demystifies the movement by pointing to the paradoxical dependence of dematerialized *idea art* on the machinations of a voracious art market that made the works available for consumption while promoting them as resistant to the forces of institutionalization."--Amelia Jones, Professor of Art History, University of California, Riverside The MIT Press
Review
"This book brings thorough and original scholarship to a relatively neglected field. Alberro's work is presented with an impressive breadth of cultural, political and historical awareness. His command of wide-ranging sources is remarkable and his deployment of them revealing."--Nicholas Baume, Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston The MIT Press
Review
"The same bracing honesty, sly wit, human insight, and formal brilliance that have made Yvonne Rainer among the most influential figures of her generation make *Feelings are Facts* an irresistible pleasure. The book is both a moving personal memoir and a fascinating cultural history; it reveals the complex relationship between the emotional life and creative work of a remarkable artist during a period of seismic shifts in American culture and society."--Nicholas Baume, Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston The MIT Press
Review
"Alberro does a surprisingly good job of putting into perspective and recording the Conceptual Art movement." Gina Vivinetto St. Petersburg Times The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"The same bracing honesty, sly wit, human insight, and formal brilliance that have made Yvonne Rainer among the most influential figures of her generation make *Feelings are Facts* an irresistible pleasure. The book is both a moving personal memoir and a fascinating cultural history; it reveals the complex relationship between the emotional life and creative work of a remarkable artist during a period of seismic shifts in American culture and society."--Nicholas Baume, Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Bostonandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"A valuable contribution to the literature on conceptual art." Michael Dashkin Library Journalandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Alberro does a surprisingly good job of putting into perspective and recording the Conceptual Art movement." Gina Vivinetto St. Petersburg Timesandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"This is in many ways a bold and suggestive book." Peter Osborne Artforumandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"This scholarly text on a little-examined topic draws fascinating parallels between the art world and postindustrial capitalism and telecommunications." Gregg Sapp Library Journalandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Gammel successfully revivifies the life and work of this maverick feminist, who wrote evocative experimental poetry, constructed vibrant assemblage art, and enacted herself dramatically throughout the streets and salons of New York in the WWI period. She convincingly demonstrates the Baroness's impact as an original artist, poet, and performer of Dada. This book is a must for all scholars of literary modernism and the Dada movement, but is also terrifically entertaining to read."--Amelia Jones, Professor of Art History, University of California, Riversideandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"This is the most rigorous history of conceptual art in print, and an important addition to the literature on postwar art."--Pamela Lee, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford Universityandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"*Conceptual Art and the Politics of Publicity* offers a detailed account of the complex relationship between the official Conceptual Art movement in New York City and the concomitant social and economic pressures of burgeoning late capitalism. Through clear prose and precise arguments, Alberro traces the intricate links among the conceptual artists and the entrepreneurs who marketed their work, thoughtfully exploring the contradictions these relationships entailed. Most importantly, the book demystifies the movement by pointing to the paradoxical dependence of dematerialized *idea art* on the machinations of a voracious art market that made the works available for consumption while promoting them as resistant to the forces of institutionalization."--Amelia Jones, Professor of Art History, University of California, Riversideandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"This book brings thorough and original scholarship to a relatively neglected field. Alberro's work is presented with an impressive breadth of cultural, political and historical awareness. His command of wide-ranging sources is remarkable and his deployment of them revealing."--Nicholas Baume, Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Bostonandlt;/Pandgt;
Review
Alberro does a surprisingly good job of putting into perspective and recording the Conceptual Art movement. Michael Dashkin - Library Journal
Synopsis
Conceptual art was one of the most influential art movements of the second half of the twentieth century. In this book Alexander Alberro traces its origins to the mid-1960s, when its principles were first articulated by the artists Dan Graham, Joseph Kosuth, Sol LeWitt, Lawrence Weiner, and others. One of Alberro's central arguments is that the conceptual art movement was founded not just by the artists but also by the dealer Seth Siegelaub. Siegelaub promoted the artists, curated groundbreaking shows, organized symposia and publications, and in many ways set the stage for another kind of entrepreneur: the freelance curator. Alberro examines both Siegelaub's role in launching the careers of artists who were making "something from nothing" and his tactful business practices, particularly in marketing and advertising.
Alberro draws on close readings of artworks produced by key conceptual artists in the mid- to late 1960s. He places the movement in the social context of the rebellion against existing cultural institutions, as well as the increased commercialization and globalization of the art world. The book ends with a discussion of one of Siegelaub's most material and least ephemeral contributions, the Artist's Reserved Rights Transfer and Sale Agreement, which he wrote between 1969 and 1971. Designed to limit the inordinate control of collectors, galleries, and museums by increasing the artist's rights, the Agreement unwittingly codified the overlap between capitalism and the arts.
Synopsis
Alberro draws on close readings of artworks produced by key conceptual artists in the mid- to late 1960s. He places the movement in the social context of the rebellion against existing cultural institutions, as well as the increased commercialization and globalization of the art world. The book ends with a discussion of one of Siegelaub's most material and least ephemeral contributions, the Artist's Reserved Rights Transfer and Sale Agreement, which he wrote between 1969 and 1971. Designed to limit the inordinate control of collectors, galleries, and museums by increasing the artist's rights, the Agreement unwittingly codified the overlap between capitalism and the arts.
Synopsis
An examination of the origins and legacy of the conceptual art movement.
About the Author
Alexander Alberro is Virginia Bloedel Wright '51 Associate Professor of Art History at Barnard College. He is the author of Conceptual Art and the Politics of Publicity (2000), and coeditor (with Blake Stimson) of Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology (2000), both published by the MIT Press.