dorothy r. santos

Conceptual Art, to be specific.

After attending the opening night for the Spread exhibition, which is currently showing at the SOMArts Cultural Center (San Francisco, CA), I’ve been thinking quite a bit about conceptual art. I’ve been asking myself why I enjoy it so much.

Conceptual work makes sense of the world. With all its antics, it’s a movement that evolves, grows rapidly, and is reflective of the times.

Some may see conceptual art as rebellion and departure from tradition, which, for some, ceases to be art. With its lack of representational images functioning as the device from which to begin understanding, conceptual work is an extrapolation on complex ideas and in many cases, the viewer is required to participate in some aspect of the work. There’s a particular type of engagement that gives conceptual art its pulse. From our perception of sound to notions of politics and society to the human condition, conceptual art has something for everyone. Yes, I’m serious. It really does.

Over the next few days (maybe week, it really depends), I will be taking a look at the Spread show much more closely and spending a bit more time fleshing out the relationships between the artists and the works and how the vanguard artists are viewing their legacy in a new generation of conceptual artists.

More to follow…