Michael Zheng

DOI: 10.64212/CONH5624

We are pleased to announce a new column “Conceptual Art” to introduce artworks and artists on the frontier of conceptual art and their historical link.

In this inaugural column, we introduce one of the founders of the West Coast Conceptualism in the United States, Paul Kos. As one of the leading figures of the movement, along with Tom Marioni, Terry Fox, Howard Fried, and Bonnie Sherk, Kos has been playing an instrumental role in forging and the development of what eventually was called the West Coast Conceptualism in the US. In contrast to the system- and language-based Conceptualism in NY, the West Coast Conceptualism has a distinctive interest in phenomenology and the intrinsic nature of materials, often engendering a lyrical effect in their works. For this issue, we provide two views on Paul Kos. The first view is an interview of Kos by Andrew McClintock, first published in SFAQ. The second view is an interview of Kos by Jarrett Earnest, first published in Brooklyn Rail. These are reprinted here with permission from the original authors. Together, they cover a wide range of Kos’s work, and provide insights into his role in the West Coast conceptual art movement, the nature of conceptual art, and his unique role in art education, often providing invaluable insights into the practice of art. Of particular relevance to the Art Frontier, the McClintock interview also touched upon Kos’s view of the role of an independent art magazine.