Lawrence Weiner

Born in 1942 in New York (USA), he lives between New York and Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Lawrence Weiner is a historic figure of the Conceptual Art generation. Since the late 1960s, the American artist has been using language as the raw material for his sculptures. The principle behind his work is summed up by his famous statement from 1969: “1. The artist may construct the piece. 2. The piece may be fabricated. 3. The piece need not to be built. Each being equal and consistent with the intent of the artist the decision as to condition rests with the receiver upon the occasion of receivership.”

His pieces come in the form of statements written on walls in huge letters. In describing simple actions and materials in an impersonal way, these snippets of sentences involve the viewer in a new relationship with the work, which is no longer something to see but something to conceive. At the same time, the typography and spacing of the word groups form nothing less than a visual score, alternating straight and broken lines.