Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology - uncopy

preface
Compared to other neo-avant-garde movements that emerged during the 1960s, conceptual
art is conspicuous by virtue of the lack of serious discussion by art historians and critics over
the last two decades. This gap in the reception is particularly ironic given the tremendous
influence conceptual art has had on subsequent artistic developments, on the critical discussion
surrounding the concept of postmodernism, and on the recognition and use, more generally,
of various forms of theory by artists, curators, critics, and historians.
There are signs that this deficiency is being remedied, however, with the recent publication
of the writings of a growing number of conceptual artists and the staging of large exhibitions
surveying conceptualism at major museums. The MIT Press has played a crucial role in
supporting this renewed interest, so we were delighted when it agreed to publish this collection.
Our hope is that it will make a valuable contribution to this resurgence, serving teachers and
students of the period as well as artists, historians, and critics.
Included in our selection are some of the best-known texts of conceptual art, a number
of lesser-known, previously unpublished or untranslated materials, as well as articles and interviews
produced specifically for this volume. Each of these, in its own way, provides considerable
insight into the period.
The volume is organized chronologically from 1966 to 1977. The final two sections
present memoirs by artists involved in the initial historical moment and a selection of the most
important critical and scholarly histories of conceptual art written to date. The images we