One and Three Chairs

One and Three Chairs is an artwork by Joseph Kosuth from the year 1965. The image contains a chair, a photograph of this chair and a glossary entry with a definition of the word " chair ". Kosuth work " One and three chairs " marks its beginning of conceptual art. After Plato's thoughts on the idea of an object, he questioned its various manifestations - real chair, a photo of the same and an entry about it in a dictionary.

The photographer gives the chair at his things present location in space again, so that the artwork changes every time it is installed in a new environment.

Two elements of the work remain, however: the exact image of an encyclopedia article about the word " chair " and a diagram that contains instructions for building. These two constant image elements have been signed by Kosuth. A statement for the installer is going to choose a chair, this place in front of a wall and take a picture of it. This photo is then enlarged to the size of the chair and in turn are hung to the left of the chair. Finally, is an enlargement of the Encyclopedia article on the right of the chair to be hung, the upper back is to be matched with the photograph.