Wall Drawing #541: Glossary

Conceptual Art [kən sep′c̸ho̵̅o̅ əl ärt] (n)– conceptual art is a very intellectual form of art that stresses idea over form. It was an idea pioneered by artists such as Sol LeWitt in the mid-1960’s. The photograph by Deborah Turbeville on the right is a great example of Conceptual art.

Contemporary Art [kən tem′pə rer′ē ärt] (n)– “contemporary art” refers to art made and produced by artists living today. Today’s artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted. Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often reflect and comment on modern-day society. One example of contemporary art is Buddha Watching TV by Nam June Paik pictured on the right.

Varnish [vär′nis̸h] (n)– a liquid that is spread on a surface and that dries to form a hard, shiny coating. It is often used to protect art and other objects, especially those made out of wood, and to preserve the colors or brushwork of a piece.

Conservation [kän′sər vā′s̸hən] (n)– a careful preservation and protection of something, especially the planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect.  In the context of museums, it often refers to the methods that are used to keep works of art or objects of historical importance in good condition.

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Obj. No. 2000.96a-g Photo No. 53946.CT.1 Nam June Paik (American, born Korea, 1932-2006) Buddha Watching TV, 1974-97 Stone sculpture, soil, closed circuit video camera, video monitor, tripod, and plywood base Note: signed and dated in white paint on Buddha's head. The work was conceived in 1974 and first made in 1997 to show at the Goethe-Institut New York on the occasion of Paik’s Goethe Medal award. Following collection and photo credit lines must appear with image: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Gift of the Friends of Frances and Sydney Lewis, in memory of Sydney Lewis, and in honor of the grand reopening of the Sydney and Frances Lewis Galleries of Modern and Contemporary Art. Photo: Katherine Wetzel © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Image of “Buddha Watching TV,” by Sol LeWitt Photo: Katherine Wetzel © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

 

Bibliography:

Ravenal, John B. “Purchase Consideration.” Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1999.

Butler, Adam. “The Art Book.” London: Phaidon, 1994.

“Collection Online: Douglas Huebler.” Guggenheim. Accessed May 3, 2015. http://www.guggenheim.org/new-                             york/collections/collection-online/artists/bios/732/Douglas%20Huebler.

“Collection Online: Hans-Peter Feldmann.” Guggenheim. Accessed May 3, 2015. http://www.guggenheim.org/new-                         york/collections/collection-online/artists/bios/11067.

“Conceptual Art.” Tate Modern. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-                                                      resources/glossary/c/conceptual-art.

“Conserving Decorative Painting On Plaster.” U.S. General Services Administration, last modified February 24, 2012.                         http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/113638.

Damage Reports. Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing 541. VMFA, Richmond.

“Education at the Getty: About Contemporary Art.” The J. Paul Getty Museum. Accessed April 23, 2015.                                           http://www.getty.edu.

Fisette, Paul. “Building and Construction Technology: Controlling Termites and Carpenter Ants.” UMass Amherst. Published:                 January 1, 2002. Accessed April 22, 2015. http://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/by-title/controlling-termites-and-carpenter-ants/.

Green, Wilder. “Who’s Who in American Art, 1973: A Biographical Directory.” New York, New York: Jaques Cattell                          Press/R.R. Bowker, 1973. 448.

“MoMA Learning: Conceptual Art.” MoMA. Accessed May 3, 2015.                                                                                              https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/conceptual-art.

Museum Records. Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing 541. VMFA, Richmond.

” Postmodernist Visual Arts.” Art Encyclopedia. Accessed May 3, 2015http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/postmodernism.htm.

“Reinstalling LeWitt.” MyVMFA. June – August, 2009, 5.

Rosenthal, Nan. “Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968).” Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed              May 3, 2015. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/duch/hd_duch.htm.

“Sol LeWitt Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sol_lewitt.html.

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #541, 1987. Ink wash on wall. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

“The Prestel Dictionary of Art and Artists in the 20th Century.” Munich: Prestel, 2000. 197.

VMFA’s Sol LeWitt Installation Time-Lapse, “Sol LeWitt drawing at the VMFA,” YouTube Video, 0:39. Posted by Virginia                       Museum of Fine Arts, March 4, 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-JnvmAcXYI.

VMFA’s Sol LeWitt Reinstallation “Sol LeWitt Drawing Reinstallation at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,” YouTube video, 1:09.                   Posted by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, January 28, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mprU_m0-es.

Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster, 2003.

 

Explore More:

Wall Drawing #541: Contemporary & Concept Art

Who is Sol LeWitt? 

Wall Drawing #541: Installation

Wall Drawing #541: Damage & Conservation

Wall Drawing #541: Activities

Wall Drawing #541:Glossary