ROUGHLY RIPPED APART
About this artwork
This cycle of ten wall texts is typical of Weiner’s practice in which he conveyed the concept of the artwork by defining it through language. Each statement suggests a physical action or invokes the manipulation of an object or matter. Indeed, Weiner regarded his language works as sculptures, and they can be seen as instructions or propositions that could be enacted. These works are displayed as vinyl lettering applied directly to the gallery wall. The artist’s aim was to offer a universal, objective experience in which the reader is invited to execute the work through his or her own imagination.
Updated December 2021
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artist:Lawrence Weiner (1942 - 2021)
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title:ROUGHLY RIPPED APART
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date created:1988
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materials:LANGUAGE + THE MATERIALS REFERRED TO
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measurements:Variable
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object type:
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credit line:ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
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accession number:AR00138
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gallery:

Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner
Although self-taught as an artist, Weiner emerged as a leading figure in Conceptual Art gaining international acclaim in the late 1960s. Born in the Bronx, New York, Weiner was best known for his use of language as the primary source for his work. This emerged in 1968, following his earlier...