Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015
London

Featuring work that dates from 1965 through to 2011, 'Amnesia: Various, Luminous, Fixed.' offers an extensive overview of Joseph Kosuth’s oeuvre in neon. The show chronicles an almost 50-year investigation into the role of language and meaning in art, as well as Kosuth’s enduring use of neon, which he first developed as a medium in the 1960s (preceding Bruce Nauman, Mario Merz and Keith Sonnier, for example), when Kosuth considered the medium a form of ‘public writing’, without fine art associations. The exhibition will feature 25 of Kosuth’s neon works, including one of the artist’s first neons Five Fives (to Donald Judd) [orange] (1965), alongside recent works such as three from his Beckett series (2011). ‘Amnesia: Various, Luminous, Fixed.’ follows ‘Insomnia: Assorted, Illuminated, Fixed.’, a comprehensive exhibition of neon work by the artist at Sprüth Magers, Berlin in 2013.

 

An important pioneer of conceptual art, Kosuth initiated appropriation strategies, language-based works and the use of photography in the 1960s. The artist characteristically develops his investigations into language and perception through the use of series, a format that opens up space for play and reflexivity in multiple directions. In the celebrated Freud series (1981-1989), Kosuth re-positions and reflects on the meanings employed in psychoanalyst’s texts with pieces and installations. Fetishism (Corrected) (1988), for instance, consists of an enlarged reproduction, complete with corrections by Freud's hand, of the opening page proof of the essay ‘Fetischismus’. Kosuth extricates the corrections, converting them into cobalt blue neon and mounting them together on the wall around the framed proof, highlighting how writing is studied and converted into artefacts, and from artefacts to art. Three works from the recent Beckett series (2011) will also be exhibited. Fabricated in warm white neon with the facing side dipped in black paint, Kosuth uses fragments from two of Beckett’s works: the renowned Waiting for Godot and the lesser-known Texts for Nothing. The playwright and artist share an interest in how language can conceal and reveal meaning in the act of constructing new meaning; while Beckett approaches the question of meaning by investigating its absence, or the impossibility of meaning revealing itself through language, Kosuth asserts its presence by posing questions about how meaning is produced, by both artist and viewer.

 

Installation Views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Details
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed.
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, November 26, 2014–February 14, 2015

Details
icon_fullscreen
1 of 7
Exhibited Works
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Five Fives (to Donald Judd)' [orange], 1965
More views

Joseph Kosuth
'Five Fives (to Donald Judd)' [orange]
Certificate of authenticity
Orange neon

More views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Self-defined object' [green], 1966
More views

Joseph Kosuth
'Self-defined object' [green]
Certificate of authenticity
Green neon mounted directly on the wall

More views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Four Colors Four Words', 1966

Joseph Kosuth
'Four Colors Four Words'
Cobalt blue, yellow, ruby red and green neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
’Discharge, Lege Artis, Conversion’ [yellow neon], 1986

Joseph Kosuth
’Discharge, Lege Artis, Conversion’ [yellow neon]
Certificate of authenticity
Yellow neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'The solution of the riddle (Z&N)', 1987

Joseph Kosuth
'The solution of the riddle (Z&N)'
Certificate of authenticity
Warm white neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Fetishism Corrected #2', 1988
More views

Joseph Kosuth
'Fetishism Corrected #2'
Certificate of authenticity
Cobalt blue neon, framed photograph on paper

More views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Essential C.S. #6', 1988

Joseph Kosuth
'Essential C.S. #6'
Red neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
’L.W.’s Last Word’ [large cobalt blue], 1990

Joseph Kosuth
’L.W.’s Last Word’ [large cobalt blue]
Certificate of authenticity
Cobalt blue neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #3' , 1990

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #3'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Cobalt blue neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'No Number 9 Twice' [warm white], 1991
More views

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number 9 Twice' [warm white]
Certificate of authenticity
Warm white neon

More views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #14 (Not On Color/Pink)', 1991

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #14 (Not On Color/Pink)'
Certificate of authenticity
Pink neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #18 (Not On Color/Red)', 1991

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #18 (Not On Color/Red)'
Ruby red neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #21', 1993

Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #21'
Certificate of authenticity
Screenprint on glass, white neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #4', 1993

Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #4'
Certificate of authenticity
Screen print on glass, white neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'1, 2, 3, 4', 1993

Joseph Kosuth
'1, 2, 3, 4'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Yellow neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'Ulysses, 18 Titles and Hours', 1998
More views

Joseph Kosuth
'Ulysses, 18 Titles and Hours'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Warm white neon

More views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1A', 2008

Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1A'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Green neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1B', 2008

Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1B'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Ruby red neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #1’ [violet], 2009

Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #1’ [violet]
Certificate of authenticity
Violet neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
'What (does this mean?)', 2009

Joseph Kosuth
'What (does this mean?)'
Certificate of authenticity
Cobalt blue neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #3’ [Yellow], 2009

Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #3’ [Yellow]
Certificate of authenticity
Yellow neon

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#1’, 2011

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#1’
Certificate of authenticity
White neon, dipped in matt black

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#7’, 2011
More views

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#7’
Certificate of authenticity
White neon, dipped in matt black

More views
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#10’, 2011

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#10’
Certificate of authenticity
White neon, dipped in matt black

Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#17’, 2011

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#17’
White neon, dipped in matt black

Details
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Five Fives (to Donald Judd)' [orange]
Certificate of authenticity
Orange neon

Joseph Kosuth
'Five Fives (to Donald Judd)' [orange], 1965
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Five Fives (to Donald Judd)' [orange] (detail)

Joseph Kosuth
'Five Fives (to Donald Judd)' [orange], 1965
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Self-defined object' [green]
Certificate of authenticity
Green neon mounted directly on the wall

Joseph Kosuth
'Self-defined object' [green], 1966
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Self-defined object' [green] (detail)

Joseph Kosuth
'Self-defined object' [green], 1966
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Four Colors Four Words'
Cobalt blue, yellow, ruby red and green neon

Joseph Kosuth
'Four Colors Four Words', 1966
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
’Discharge, Lege Artis, Conversion’ [yellow neon]
Certificate of authenticity
Yellow neon

Joseph Kosuth
’Discharge, Lege Artis, Conversion’ [yellow neon], 1986
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'The solution of the riddle (Z&N)'
Certificate of authenticity
Warm white neon

Joseph Kosuth
'The solution of the riddle (Z&N)', 1987
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Fetishism Corrected #2'
Certificate of authenticity
Cobalt blue neon, framed photograph on paper

Joseph Kosuth
'Fetishism Corrected #2', 1988
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Fetishism Corrected #2' (detail)

Joseph Kosuth
'Fetishism Corrected #2', 1988
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Essential C.S. #6'
Red neon

Joseph Kosuth
'Essential C.S. #6', 1988
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
’L.W.’s Last Word’ [large cobalt blue]
Certificate of authenticity
Cobalt blue neon

Joseph Kosuth
’L.W.’s Last Word’ [large cobalt blue], 1990
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #3'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Cobalt blue neon

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #3' , 1990
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number 9 Twice' [warm white]
Certificate of authenticity
Warm white neon

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number 9 Twice' [warm white], 1991
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number 9 Twice' [warm white] (detail)

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number 9 Twice' [warm white], 1991
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #14 (Not On Color/Pink)'
Certificate of authenticity
Pink neon

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #14 (Not On Color/Pink)', 1991
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #18 (Not On Color/Red)'
Ruby red neon

Joseph Kosuth
'No Number #18 (Not On Color/Red)', 1991
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #21'
Certificate of authenticity
Screenprint on glass, white neon

Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #21', 1993
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #4'
Certificate of authenticity
Screen print on glass, white neon

Joseph Kosuth
'Double Reading #4', 1993
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'1, 2, 3, 4'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Yellow neon

Joseph Kosuth
'1, 2, 3, 4', 1993
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Ulysses, 18 Titles and Hours'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Warm white neon

Joseph Kosuth
'Ulysses, 18 Titles and Hours', 1998
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'Ulysses, 18 Titles and Hours' (detail)

Joseph Kosuth
'Ulysses, 18 Titles and Hours', 1998
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1A'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Green neon

Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1A', 2008
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1B'
Certificate of Authenticity.
Ruby red neon

Joseph Kosuth
'W.F.T. #1B', 2008
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #1’ [violet]
Certificate of authenticity
Violet neon

Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #1’ [violet], 2009
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
'What (does this mean?)'
Certificate of authenticity
Cobalt blue neon

Joseph Kosuth
'What (does this mean?)', 2009
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #3’ [Yellow]
Certificate of authenticity
Yellow neon

Joseph Kosuth
‘The Paradox of Content #3’ [Yellow], 2009
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#1’
Certificate of authenticity
White neon, dipped in matt black

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#1’, 2011
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#7’
Certificate of authenticity
White neon, dipped in matt black

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#7’, 2011
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#7’ (detail)

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#7’, 2011
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#10’
Certificate of authenticity
White neon, dipped in matt black

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#10’, 2011
Joseph Kosuth – Amnesia: various, luminous, fixed. – London

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#17’
White neon, dipped in matt black

Joseph Kosuth
‘Texts for Nothing (Waiting for-)#17’, 2011
Details
icon_fullscreen
1 of 25