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Art & Language

Also known as: Art & Language; primary name: Art & Language
Details: organisation; academic/intellectual; conceptual/performance artist
Biography: Artists' organisation. Founded around 1967 in Coventry by Michael Baldwin, David Bainbridge, Terry Atkinson and Harold Hurrell. The critic and art historian Charles Harrison and the artist Mel Ramsden both became associated with the group, in 1970. Art & Language questioned the critical assumptions of mainstream modern art practice and criticism. Much of their early work consisted of detailed discussion of these issues presented in their journal or in an art gallery context and shared a common desire to combine intellectual ideas and concerns with the creation of art. The first issue of the group's journal Art-Language was published in November 1969 in England, and was an important influence on conceptual art in the United States and the United Kingdom. They were critical of mainstream modern art practices at the time. In their work conversations, they created conceptual art as part of their discussions. Between 1968 and 1982, the group grew to nearly fifty people. Among the first to join were critic and art historian Charles Harrison and artist Mel Ramsden,[4] joining in 1970. In the early 1970s, individuals including Ian Burn, Michael Corris, Preston Heller, Graham Howard, Joseph Kosuth, Andrew Menard, and Terry Smith joined the group. Two collaborators from Coventry, Philip Pilkington and David Rushton, subsequently joined Art & Lanuage. The relative degree of anonymity held within the group held continues to have an historical significance on the art community. Due to uncertainty of the exact member lists, it is hard to know with certainty not only who all of the contributors were but also to what their exact contributions were.

2 related objects

print; artist postcard

Title: Art-Language |
Museum number: 2018,7009.256 |
Producer name: AUTH225083 Print made by:Art & Language |
Production date: 1977

print; artist postcard

Title: 10 Postcards |
Museum number: 2018,7009.148.1-10 |
Producer name: AUTH225083 Print made by:Art & Language |
Production date: 2013

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