Typed and notarized statement on paper and sheet of lead mounted in imitation leather mat
Not on view
Each of the twenty–seven keys in Litanies is inscribed with a word from a text by artist Marcel Duchamp (American, born France. 1887–1968), whose emphasis on the ideas presented by a work of art rather than its aesthetic appearance informed much Conceptual art of the 1960s. When Litanies was purchased by architect Philip Johnson, Morris did not receive payment in a timely fashion. He created Document in response. The typed and notarized text serves to negate the "aesthetic quality and content of the original work," which is presented as "Exhibit A" in frontal and profile views. Johnson then purchased Document, thereby accepting the loss of the value of his first acquisition.
Here Is Every. Four Decades of Contemporary Art, September 10, 2008–March 23, 2009.
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Conceptual art
In the 1960s, many artists experimented with art that emphasized ideas over objects and materials traditionally associated with art making.
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Lead
A soft, malleable, dense metallic element with many different applications and uses, especially in the marking substance in pencils or as a material for sculpture.
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