Conceptual Art

To me conceptual art is a form of art in which the most important aspect of the work is the concept or idea that it is trying to convey to the viewer. Conceptual art is a type that sort of pushes the envelope as you will since it is an art which questions the very nature of what is understood as art. I really liked the way you articulated your thoughts about conceptual art when you said, "Conceptual art does not always have a definitive meaning and its form cannot be analyzed." The piece that I learned about this week that I think is conceptual art is called The House with the Ocean View by Marina Abramovic. I think that it is conceptual art because its interpretation is up to the viewer. The fact that this was actually a living installation in which the artist actually performed in the art was great! She lived in this 3 bedroom "house"that was located six feet above the gallery floor in the Sean Kelly Gallery in New York for 12 days. There was a toilet and shower in one room, a table and chair in another, and clothes and a mattress in the last room. She didn't eat, read, speak, or write during this time. She separated herself from her audience with three ladders which had butcher's knives for rungs. During the day the only way she could communicate with her audience was by staring at them. The only way to bridge the gap would be to make a sacrifice and use the ladders. I guess the separation that we feel from one another is symbolic in this artwork. This is illustrating that we have to make sacrifices in order to get closer to one another. One of the other pieces from the chapter that I found intriguing is another piece from Marina Abramovic and Ulay- Imponderabilia (1977). I have to admit when I first started looking at some of the conceptual art that has been presented I thought that is was obscure, but after reading more about this type of art I now find it very intriguing and interesting.