Arte

Joseph Kosuth, 1966-1990 Art after philosophy and after, 2° Editions, Abis_ Book: Austria

For an artist to question the nature and function of fine art and fine art practice as Kosuth does in quote a) is to enter into a philosophical engagement where the accuracy and specificity of language is paramount. To translate this into text, as Kosuth did in 1969 with Art After Philosophy, and which I will attempt to do here in response to the question posed, first of all requires a clear demarcation of ground and a working definition of the terms that will be used. Clearly, to define such terms is also to reveal them for discussion, and so I will open this essay by exploring Art After Philosophy’s specific terminology together with its implications and the light which this sheds on Kosuth’s hypothesis. I will then use this terminology to make clear the shape of the argument which Kosuth excogitates within his text, while the second part of this essay will comprise a contextual account of the original work exploring it’s place within the art world of the time and asking a number of questions as to the wider social/historical context in which it was written. I will then conclude by considering the cultural significance of the ideas which have been raised.