Conceptual art
The question to ask is, "Is there any idea a book can’t accommodate?"
Peter Lyssiotis
From the mid 1960s, conceptual artists emphasised the ideas in their work, rather than the finished product of an art object.
With their long history of communicating ideas, books were the obvious choice for these artists to document their concepts. Used to record installations and performances, in many cases artists' books became the surrogate for the artwork. In others a book contained only the instructions to create a work.
William Vazan documents his project to circle the world in Worldline 1969-71 while in Ten menhirs at Plouharnel, Carnac, Morbihan, Bretagne, France, JM John Armstrong records his exploration of archaeological practices. The book, rather than being a work itself, is the medium for the exploration of ideas including those regarding the nature of the book itself. In Just for nothing Ruark Lewis investigates the conventions of the setting of text in play scripts.
Jihad Muhammad John Armstrong (b. 1948)
Ten menhirs at Plouharnel, Carnac, Morbihan, Bretagne, France
Hobart: J. Armstrong, 1982
Edition: Unique
Australian Library of Art
State Library of Queensland
ALAAB ARM
Tim Mosely (b. 1961)
Mixed carton 1: critical theory in a box
Lismore, NSW: Silverwattle Press, 2006
Edition: Unique
Australian Library of Art
State Library of Queensland
ALAAB MOS
Last updated: 11th May 2012
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