Wittgenstein's Philosophical Impact on 1960s-70s Conceptual Art Explored in ArtReview Interview

Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Austrian-British philosopher who passed away in Cambridge in 1951, played a significant role in transforming art appreciation during the 1960s and 70s by promoting concept-driven methodologies. His philosophies impacted artists such as Joseph Kosuth, who incorporated Wittgenstein's ideas in a 1960s-70s work that included a clock, a photograph of it, and a dictionary definition. Kosuth's 1969 essay 'Art After Philosophy' showcased this connection, while Jasper Johns examined the discrepancies between images and words. The period from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s saw a shift in Anglo-American analytic aesthetics towards historically informed perspectives, influenced in part by Wittgenstein. He also supported artists like Rainer Maria Rilke and Oskar Kokoschka, with Bertrand Russell shaping his philosophical confidence. Matthew Collings conducted the interview for ArtReview.