Confronting the Contemporary

Many artists practicing in Northern Ireland today stress the thought processes and methods of production as the value of the work. Although they may use established techniques such as painting, modelling and photography, it is concept rather than representation that underpins their work.

Conceptual art can be almost anything. This is because, unlike a painter or sculptor who will think about how best they can express their idea using paint or sculptural materials respectively, a conceptual artist uses whatever materials and whatever form is most appropriate to putting their idea across.  Although there is no one style or form, from the late 1960s certain trends emerged with artists using text, installation, video and performance, and many artists continue to make conceptual art in Northern Ireland today.