LOY LUO THEORETICAL COLLECTION
ISSN [TBD] (Online series)
RESPONDING TO CRITICISMS OF THE TEXTUALIZATION OF CONTEMPORARY ART WITH AN EXAMPLE
Loy Luo
(Art Criticism, Revised by the author for inclusion in the Loy Luo Theoretical Collection, 2025)
Abstract
This essay responds to philosopher Chen Jiaying’s critique of the “textualization” of contemporary art — the phenomenon in which conceptual and discursive structures seem to dominate artistic practice. Through the example of a New York exhibition, I argue that the textual dimension of contemporary art is not a symptom of decline or over-intellectualization, but rather an inevitable manifestation of the self-reflection of art in the age of language. The text, as an extension of the visual, becomes a performative field where artistic consciousness, theoretical interpretation, and curatorial practice interweave. By reconsidering the relation between writing, image, and exhibition, this essay proposes that textualization should be understood as an act of thinking through art itself — a gesture that opens new possibilities for the visibility of thought.
Full Text: LoyLuo- Art Criticism-Textualization of Contemporary Art
DOI: [TBD]
Biographical Note
Loy Luo (Luo Yi) is a contemporary artist based in New York. Her practice explores the philosophical and cultural dimensions of abstraction through painting, sculpture, and writing.
Images: From EVERY PROTECTION, work by Debra Olin at The Museum at Eldridge Street, October 14 – April 24, 2022
ISSN *******
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0