Conceptual art is unique because, in most cases, the value doesn’t center around the finished piece of art. Instead, the value is centered around the overall idea or concept that is behind the art. The work conceptual artists generate helps challenge traditional forms of creative practice and goes on to ask audiences to rethink their perspective on what constitutes art. 

Ultimately, the piece’s value is determined by the artist and the viewer. It’s up to the artist to place value on their conceptual piece. However, the viewer’s perception of a piece also influences it. Sometimes, these two factors align, as the artist and viewer share similar views on the piece. Other times, it does not, as the viewer may discover an entirely new interpretation of the work that the artist never had in mind. In any case, value is derived where these points meet.

An early example of a successful conceptual artist is Marcel Duchamp, who gained initial recognition and helped pave the way for the movement as a whole by thinking outside the box. Later on, prominent artists like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jackson Pollock presented their conceptual visions through their work. 

Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” helped define and popularize conceptual art, as its very presence was provocative. Meanwhile, Rene Margritte’s “The Treachery of Images” gets to the core of conceptual art by questioning the nature of art as a medium and what it means within the greater context of reality. John Baldessari’s “The Pencil Story” is another great example of famous conceptual art, as it approaches the concept of art through a more humorous lens. 

Other well-known pieces include Damien Hirst’s “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,” Jeff Koons’ “Balloon Dog,” and Chris Burden’s “Shoot.”

Most conceptual art is not designed with one singular idea in mind. In fact, conceptual art, by its very nature, has two philosophical ideas at the heart of it, the ideas it brings up about art and the wider ideas it brings up about its topic. However, many works of conceptual art are open for interpretation in a way that a near-infinite number of interpretations are valid. This means that, yes, one piece of conceptual art can have many different concepts present all at once. 

With the definition of conceptual art being somewhat vague and open to interpretation, it can feel difficult to classify conceptual art as something different from traditional approaches. However, there is a line that differentiates this form of art from others. 

Thomas Demand’s “Kitchen” is a famous example of this. At first glance, the work appears to be a simple case of still-life photography. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the photo’s subject is shockingly sterile and sanitized. Upon learning that the subject of the photo is a replica of part of the house where Saddam Hussein was found hiding, additional layers of commentary are elucidated and we can therefore classify this piece as conceptual art with a strong social commentary.