Lot 11 D

Joseph Kosuth is certainly someone who understands the production of art as an intellectual activity. Deeply influenced by his forays into philosophy, he stringently merged concepts with reality, researching their verbalisation. Renowned for his application of neon and dictionary-style definitions as paintings, the American artist never made it easy for the viewer. For him, it was Wittgenstein and Nietzsche who referred to art as a juxtaposition to verbal speculation, although he himself left room for speculation for the viewers of his works. Joseph Kosuth was born in the USA and studied at Toledo Museum School of Design, at Cleveland Art Institute, and at the School of Visual Arts. He was not interested in 'how' things were done, but why. The painting shown in this auction is a perfect example for his engagement with verbal and nonverbal concepts. In the exploration of the theme of 'time', connotations of the elapsing of time are evoked, underlined by the use of the old German typeface. Aphorisms - and how we perceive them today - underline philosophical ideas that we all individually carry within us.