Sol LeWitt

Sol LeWitt

Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) is considered one of the most important artists of the Minimalism and Conceptualism movements of the post-war era. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and received a BFA from Syracuse University in 1949. In 1953 he opened a studio in New York City and later worked as a graphic designer in the office of architect I. M. Pei. The time he spent there had a profound influence on his work, as it sparked his interest in geometric precision and taught him that artists could work as members of teams.

He worked in sculpture, drawing (both on paper and on walls), printing and photography. Once he conceived a work, he often employed a team to help him complete his wall installations, comparing himself to a composer whose work was played by other musicians or an architect who did not erect his own buildings. He contended that the concept of a piece was more important that the execution, giving rise to the term "Conceptualism."

From moma.org and hollistaggart.com

K 1 2 3 4 5 6 #2
dailyicon.net

Wall Drawing #260
moma.org

To see how the wall installation of #260 was accomplished, the following video from the MoMA website gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at preparation for an exhibition.

moma.org

Installation of Color Bands in Four Directions
sfmoma.org

I love this LeWitt piece so much that I have a print of it in my bedroom, albeit turned to suit my needs. Apologies to any LeWitt purists reading this post.

LeWitt print of Color Bands in Four Directions in my bedroom

Splotch #22
blackbird.vcu.edu

Wall Drawing #1081
bombsite.com

Untitled
boisseree.com

Forms Derived from a Cube
boisseree.com

Lines from the midpoint of lines
nga.gov.au

Black and White Bands Within a Circle,
marble floor installation, Ronald Reagan Airport,
Washington, D. C.
metwashairports.com

Wall Drawing #936
sfmoma.org

Wall Drawing #481
baeditions.com

Wall Drawings #631 (left) and #614 (right)
nytimes.com

To watch amazing timelapse videos of wall drawings going up, visit the MASS MoCA website.

And for those of you whose taste runs more to home furnishings than to art, take a look at the gorgeous Sol LeWitt inspired crystal tumblers by Artel.

parasolpress.com