Joseph Kosuth

Joseph Kosuth is an American conceptual artist born in 1945. He is known for his pioneering contributions to conceptual art and his exploration of language and meaning in art. Kosuth’s works often involve the use of text and linguistic elements, challenging traditional notions of art and perception. He is considered one of the key figures in the development of Conceptual Art during the 1960s. Joseph Kosuth’s conceptual, self-referential neons, silkscreens, installations, and public commissions explore the role of language within art. His art often invites viewers to question the nature of art itself and the relationship between words and objects.

 Kosuth’s work is steeped in literature and philosophy: He has referenced the theories of Plato, Sigmund Freud, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, among other major thinkers. His conceptual and formal concerns are exemplified in works such as One and Three Chairs (1965), a visual expression of Plato’s theory of forms that features a wooden chair, a photograph of the chair, and a dictionary definition of the word “chair.”

 Kosuth has exhibited in New York, London, Milan, Berlin, Vienna, Tokyo, and Los Angeles. His work belongs in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate, the Guggenheim Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Joseph Kosuth continues to create thought-provoking artworks that push the boundaries of conceptual art and engage viewers in intellectual and philosophical exploration.