Sol Lewitt created some pieces of conceptual art; it all reduced to the idea, and made hands-off installation kind of the fun part. Also, conservation: no problem. Here’s some of these pieces.
You can kind of do the same thing with humor; pick out something commonplace, or already established, which isn’t necessarily funny. And then frame that in terms of something totally different. For example, LINES FROM THE PRINCESS BRIDE THAT DOUBLE AS COMMENTS ON FRESHMAN COMPOSITION PAPERS:
- “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
- “At a time like this that’s all you can think to say?”
- “Nonsense. You’re only saying that because no one ever has.”
- “I don’t think I’m quite familiar with that phrase.”
- “I would not say such things if I were you!”
- “I do not suppose you could speed things up?”
- “Skip to the end!”
- “That is the sound of ultimate suffering.”
- “Inconceivable!”
The funny part is the title. The actual text we’ve heard several times before, but slap on a new title, and it takes on a whole new life.
I dunno, same thing?
P.S. Peter, WTF is that ticker? It’s not 1997 anymore, you know.
Okay, so CB, I was kind of waiting for this. I knew that I wouldn’t get away with it! I am in fact glad of your comment! Haha I do love the 90’s afterall! I find conceptual art more tolerable when it is put in algorithmic terms, or at least by drawing an analogue to classical composition, it makes actually quite a bit of sense! The question that I have is this: why do we go to listen to symphonies, but not go to see master copies of artwork? It seems that it is looked down on in the visual arts to copy a master’s work, whereas in music, it is received with approbation and esteem. Perhaps there is something to be learned from conceptual art about imitation and great master artists? I wonder also if my students would find this interesting; I can imagine them enjoying making one of Lewitt’s pieces as a group project.
Isn’t drama conceptual too then? Isn’t the play only realized on stage? I’ll bet Shakespeare thought about this already and talked about it in his plays (he’s also meta with plays within plays). Music, art, drama; finally, my last question, what about poetry? What is conceptual poetry?