Text-Based Art

Collect text-based art

Text-based art transforms language into a powerful artistic medium, blending words and form to provoke thought and engage viewers. This curated selection features limited-edition prints and sculptures by influential artists such as Jenny Holzer, Ed Ruscha, and David Shrigley. From incisive social critiques to whimsical commentary, these artworks challenge perceptions and highlight the dynamic interplay between text, meaning, and context. With select editions available for sale, this selection invites you to explore the intellectual and aesthetic richness of text-based art in contemporary culture.

What is text-based art?

Text-based art, a pivotal movement that emerged in the 1960s alongside conceptual art, prioritizes ideas and concepts over traditional aesthetic values. This genre employs language as the main artistic medium, transforming words and letters from mere communicative tools into integral visual elements. Artists working within this sphere often utilize text to disrupt established narratives, critique societal and political structures, and delve into the nuanced relationship between language, context, and meaning. The scope of text in this art form ranges from succinct phrases to elaborate compositions, expressed through diverse mediums such as paintings, fine art prints, sculptures, and photographs.

By merging the semantic with the visual, text-based art fosters a more cerebral and interactive artistic encounter, cementing its role in the narrative of contemporary art. This approach allows artists to engage directly with audiences, challenging them to question their perceptions and interpretations of language. The text itself can become a form of protest or commentary, offering new layers of meaning depending on its context and placement. Whether painted across a canvas, formed into three-dimensional structures, or flashed on electronic displays, the text in these artworks compels viewers to read and respond, making it a dynamic tool for communication and expression in the art world. This versatility and directness make text-based art a continually relevant and provocative element of modern and contemporary art practices.

A short history of text-based art

Text-based art, though solidified as a movement in the 1960s during the rise of Conceptual Art, has roots that stretch back to the early 20th century. It was born out of avant-garde movements like Dada and Futurism, where artists began to experiment with words and typography as artistic elements. This history reveals the evolving relationship between language and art, showcasing how artists have repeatedly turned to text to question, disrupt, and reimagine the boundaries of visual expression.

Early Beginnings: Dada and Beyond

The Dadaists, emerging in the chaotic aftermath of World War I, were among the first to embrace text as a central artistic element. Artists like Tristan Tzara and Kurt Schwitters incorporated fragmented poetry, nonsensical phrases, and collaged newspaper clippings into their artworks, rejecting traditional aesthetics in favor of provocation and absurdity. For Dada, text was not just a carrier of meaning but a medium for anti-art – a tool to undermine conventional narratives and highlight the instability of language itself.

Simultaneously, the Futurists, led by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, explored the visual possibilities of text through their “words in freedom” (parole in libertà) technique. This style abandoned linearity, using dynamic typography to convey speed, energy, and emotion. These experiments laid the groundwork for later art movements, demonstrating the visual and conceptual power of language.

Conceptual Art and the Rise of Text as Idea

By the 1960s, text-based art took on new significance as artists aligned with Conceptual Art sought to prioritize ideas over form. Joseph Kosuth’s seminal work, One and Three Chairs (1965), exemplifies this shift. The piece juxtaposes a physical chair, a photograph of the chair, and the dictionary definition of “chair,” forcing viewers to question the nature of representation and the interplay between words and objects.

Other contemporaries, like Lawrence Weiner, used text to strip art down to its essence. Weiner’s declarative statements, such as “A 36” x 36” Removal to the Lathing or Support of a Wall,” became artworks in themselves, emphasizing the sufficiency of language to convey artistic intent. These works not only democratized art by removing the need for physical creation but also invited audiences to engage with art intellectually.

Political and Public Interventions

The 1980s and 1990s saw text-based art move from galleries into public spaces, as artists like Jenny Holzer and Barbara Kruger used language to address political and social issues. Holzer’s Truisms – short, impactful phrases such as “Abuse of power comes as no surprise” – flashed across LED signs and urban landscapes, confronting viewers in their everyday environments. Similarly, Kruger’s bold, graphic artworks combined text and imagery to critique consumer culture, gender roles, and media manipulation.

Famous text-based artists

Leading figures in the genre of text-based art include Joseph Kosuth, one of the pioneers of Conceptual Art, renowned for his analytical approach to language’s role within art. His artworks often provoke deep reflection on the functions and definitions of art itself. John Baldessari merged text with photography to critique contemporary culture and media, influencing how text can layer meaning onto visual elements.

Ed Ruscha is another key figure, known for his integration of bold typography into visual landscapes, creating a hybrid form of graphic and narrative art that explores American identity and consumerism. Jenny Holzer takes text-based art into the public realm with her provocative LED installations and large-scale exhibitions, which confront and challenge viewers with issues of power, violence, and oppression.

David Shrigley adds a distinctively whimsical and often sardonic tone to the field, using simplistic drawings paired with text to comment on the absurdities of everyday life. Each artist, through their unique approach to text-based art, invites viewers to engage in a visual dialogue, challenging perceptions and encouraging critical thinking about language, culture, and society.

Buy text-based art online. Catering art collectors from around the globe, MLTPL focusses on the specific needs of online buyers: transparent pricing, accurate condition reports, professional packaging and quick shipping.

MLTPL ships worldwide. We focus on professional packaging and fully traceable shipping. Where possible, we ship our text-based artworks flat between fiberboards and two layers of solid cardboard. We aim to dispatch in under 5 days.

All shipped text-based artworks are covered by our door-to-door transport insurance. In the unlikely event of physical damage or loss, the artwork will therefore be fully insured.

When buying art online, the artwork’s condition and its truthful description are key. We follow a rigorous standard when selecting new artworks for our collector base, whilst providing accurate condition reports and high-resolution images.