“One and Three Chairs” (1965), created by Joseph Kosuth and currently housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, NY, US, is an iconic piece within the Conceptual Art movement. This work, executed in mixed media and falling under the installation genre, illustrates Kosuth’s fascination with semiotics, linguistics, and the philosophy of art.
The artwork features three representations of a chair: a tangible wooden chair, a photograph of the wooden chair, and a textual definition of the word “chair.” The physical chair stands as a real, utilitarian object, while the photograph captures its visual appearance. The display of these three elements alongside each other prompts contemplation on the nature of representation and the relationship between objects, their images, and their linguistic descriptions. By juxtaposing the three forms, Kosuth challenges viewers to question the traditional boundaries of art and the ways in which meaning is constructed and understood.
