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TAKEN FROM HERE TO WHERE IT CAME FROM AND TAKEN TO A PLACE AND USED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT CAN ONLY REMAIN AS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT IT WAS WHERE IT CAME FROM

Wall installation of black outlined green letters spelling out phrase in English.
© Lawrence Weiner

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  • Wall installation of black outlined green letters spelling out phrase in English.

Date:

1980

Artist:

Lawrence Weiner
American, 1942-2021

About this artwork

Lawrence Weiner established himself as one of the leading figures in the Conceptual Art Movement during the late 1960s by creating works that challenge traditional assumptions about the nature of the art object. Using language as his medium, Weiner set out to question the conventional relationship between artist and viewer and to redefine standard systems of artistic display and distribution. In 1968 he issued a statement of intent, outlining the three conditions in which his works could exist: they could be built by him; fabricated by someone else; or not constructed at all. His works have the potential for being realized in countless ways and contexts; they may be shown outdoors as a public project, published in a book, printed on a matchbook cover, or simply spoken. He is best known, however, for written phrases presented on gallery or museum walls, typically in stenciled or vinyl lettering. Weiner felt the permanence and integrity of a linguistic construction, presented as a title in the form of a simple descriptive phrase on the wall, was less vulnerable to change over time than an actual sculpture. This work—which describes a physical act of displacement as a metaphor for representation—and its title are one and the same.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Lawrence Weiner

Title

TAKEN FROM HERE TO WHERE IT CAME FROM AND TAKEN TO A PLACE AND USED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT CAN ONLY REMAIN AS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT IT WAS WHERE IT CAME FROM

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1980

Medium

Language + materials referred to

Dimensions

Dimensions vary with installation

Credit Line

Gift of Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg

Reference Number

1982.402

Copyright

© Lawrence Weiner

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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