Overview
1. The artist may construct the piece.
2. The piece may be fabricated.
3. The piece need not be built.
Each being equal and consistent with the intent of the artist the decision as to condition rests within the receiver upon the occasion of receivership.
One of the founding figures of Conceptual art, Lawrence Weiner worked primarily with language from the late 1960s onwards. His work, typically set in a sans serif font, often refers to materials and constructions that enact a physical process. Although he did not consider his works site-specific, each piece forms a distinct relationship to its environment. Whether it is a public space, a gallery wall or a book, each context allows viewers to develop their own interpretations in reference to their personal experiences.
As with much Conceptual work, the installation does not have to be executed by the artist. In a radical restructuring of the traditional artist-viewer relationship, he shifted responsibility for the work's realisation to its audience, redefining standard systems of artistic distribution. Over the course of his career, Weiner gradually extended his engagement with language from simple actions to ready-made structures, such as aphorisms and sayings, which underscore the subjective nature of interpretation. He also explored the interaction of graphic and grammatical elements of language while using shapes and colours.
One of the founding figures of Conceptual art, Lawrence Weiner worked primarily with language from the late 1960s onwards. His work, typically set in a sans serif font, often refers to materials and constructions that enact a physical process. Although he did not consider his works site-specific, each piece forms a distinct relationship to its environment. Whether it is a public space, a gallery wall or a book, each context allows viewers to develop their own interpretations in reference to their personal experiences.
As with much Conceptual work, the installation does not have to be executed by the artist. In a radical restructuring of the traditional artist-viewer relationship, he shifted responsibility for the work's realisation to its audience, redefining standard systems of artistic distribution. Over the course of his career, Weiner gradually extended his engagement with language from simple actions to ready-made structures, such as aphorisms and sayings, which underscore the subjective nature of interpretation. He also explored the interaction of graphic and grammatical elements of language while using shapes and colours.
Weiner was born in 1942 in New York, where he lived and worked until his death in 2021. He turned to language as the primary vehicle for his work in 1968, following earlier experimentations with painting, constructions and sculpture. In 1970, he decided to live on a boat in Amsterdam, and subsequently divided his time between Europe and the USA. His work has been shown in major solo exhibitions at Pérez Art Museum, Miami (2017); Milwaukee Art Museum (2017); Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria (2016); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2014); Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (2013); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2007); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2007); Museo Tamayo, Mexico City (2004); Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany (2000); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (1994); and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C. (1990). He also participated in documenta (1972, 1977, 1982, 2012); the Venice Biennale (1972, 1984, 2003, 2013), and completed numerous public commissions worldwide. In addition to publishing multiple artist books and editions, Weiner created music, films and videos, including Beached (1970), Do You Believe in Water? (1976) and Plowman's Lunch (1982).
Videos
