Lyco art, or
lyrical conceptualism, is a term coined by Hartal. In 1975, Hartal published
A Manifesto on Lyrical Conceptualism, introducing Lycoism as a new art idea on the "periodic table of art." In this work, Hartal proposes a theory of art which runs contrary to what he claims is the traditional belief, that
emotion and intellect are at odds with each other. Hartal proposes the idea that artists should be allowed to contribute to the emotional and intellectual development of society as scientists do. In 1975, the Lyrical Conceptualism Society was established in Canada, directed by Hartal. In
Mazes for the Mind, Clifford Pickover draws attention to Hartal's view that we need the
imagination, the
insight, and the
lateral reasoning faculty, as well as human
values, which are excluded from the rigid
methodology of science but are intrinsic to art: "The present human condition calls for the rise of a new, inclusive form of
culture in which art should play a most prominent role." However, in introducing the notion of Lycoism, Hartal did not intend to form a new post-conceptualist splinter-trend; instead, his intention was the creation of a new
philosophy of art in which the tearing down of the boundaries between art and science, the interlacement of the intuitive and the exact, and incorporation of the lyrical and the geometrical play a central role. ==Concepts and ideals of Lyco art==