(Is That a Quotation? Jorge Luis Borges, The Book of Sand")
Screenprint on transparent plastic / vellum paper
60,8 × 81.1 cm
Signed and numbered
Edition of 200
In "Quoted", Joseph Kosuth once again deals with the complex interplay of signifier and signified. As the depicted quote from Jorge Luis Borges’ short story "The Book of Sand" addresses the relation between language and reality—in the form of a self-referential system of citations—the art piece is a twofold representation. By isolating the text on a minimalist, semi-translucent plastic sheet, Kosuth strips away all imagery to force the viewer to confront the medium itself. On the other hand, it also holds a subtle irony about the post-modern condition, where original authorship is dissolved into an endless loop of pre-existing language.