- Title
- THE TRACE OF ACTION PAST (i.e. A WET PLACE)
- Date Made
- 1986
- Medium
- LANGUAGE + THE MATERIALS REFERRED TO
- Dimensions
- 8 5/8 × 11 1/2 in. (21.91 × 29.21 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2017.263
- Collecting Area
- Modern Art
- Curatorial Notes
Conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner developed his signature style in the late 1960s, turning to language rather than the physical object as the primary conveyer of meaning. As he famously wrote in 1968: "(1) The artist may construct the piece. (2) The piece may be fabricated. (3) The piece may not be built. [Each being equal and consistent with the intent of the artist, the decision as to condition rests with the receiver upon the occasion of receivership.]"
Like other Conceptual artists who gained international recognition in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Weiner investigated forms of display and distribution that challenge traditional assumptions about the nature of the art object. Wall installations that consist of words in nondescript lettering became the primary medium for Weiner in the 1970s. The lettering need not be done by the Weiner himself, as long as the sign painter complies with the instructions dictated by the artist. THE TRACE OF ACTION PAST ( i.e. A WET PLACE) was a gift from Weiner to fellow artist John Baldessari, who installed it in his studio until donating it to LACMA.
