What is Conceptual art? Time to brush up on your art terms! Conceptual art can look like, and be made from, pretty much anything. In the 1960s and 70s, groups of artists made the case that the concept (or idea) behind a work of art is the most important thing about it. Within conceptual art, many artists used language as a tool to express the idea behind their work, or as instructions on how to make the artwork. — [1] Joseph Kosuth. “One and Three Chairs.” 1965. Larry Aldrich Foundation Fund. ©