Castelli Gallery is please to present Joseph Kosuth. Made at Conception. The exhibition
includes a selection of four works from the 1960s: Any Five Foot Sheet of Glass to Lean Against Any Wall, 1965; One and Three Frames (English-Latin), 1965; the neon One and Eight - A Description, 1965; and Titled (A.A.I.A.I.) Exterior Interior, 1968, which has the distinction of being the only “definition” made by the artist in seven panels.

Over the years Conceptual Art, in general, and the work of Joseph Kosuth, in particular, have generated several questions and arguments that people in the art community still struggle to answer: Can we date a work “1965” if the artist conceived it in 1965, but didn’t fabricate it until much later? Is there such a thing as the “original” piece in Conceptual Art? How do we date works that exist only when they are installed? And, what is the purpose of an “artist's certificate”?

This selection of works attempts to contribute to the conversation on these subjects. On the occasion of the exhibition, the gallery will publish a catalogue featuring an extensive conversation with Mr. Kosuth in which the artist will share his perspective.

Any Five Foot Sheet of Glass to Lean Against Any Wall, 1965, consists of a square sheet of glass lying against the wall and a metal label embossed with the title. The work, conceived in 1965, is dated 1965; however, an “original” sheet of glass from 1965 is not required when exhibiting the work: any glass from any source at any time can be used.

The same can be said about One and Three Frames (English-Latin), 1965, a work that consists of three elements hanging on a wall: a frame, a photograph of that frame, and the description of the word “frame.” The photograph must be retaken, each time the work is exhibited, on the wall on which the artwork is installed; this results in the date of the fabrication of the work coinciding, each time, with the date of the installation of the work.