Born: September 9, 1928, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Died: April 8, 2007, New York City, USA
Nationality: American
Style: Minimalism, Conceptual Art
Influences: Geometry, seriality, systems
"The idea becomes a machine that makes the art."
Notable Artwork
Wall Drawing #260 (1975) (and his Wall Drawings series generally)
About Sol LeWitt
Born: September 9, 1928, Hartford, Connecticut, USA Died: April 8, 2007, New York City, USA Nationality: American Style: Minimalism, Conceptual Art Influences: Geometry, seriality, systems Major Exhibitions: “Wall Drawings” series (1960s-2000s), “Paragraphs on Conceptual Art” (1967) Quote: “The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.”
Notable Artwork: Wall Drawing #260 (1975) (and his Wall Drawings series generally)
Wall Drawing #260 (and many of LeWitt’s wall drawings) consists of a set of instructions for creating a drawing directly on a wall. The instructions are precise but allow for variations in execution, meaning that the final artwork can differ each time it is installed. The idea of the drawing is the artwork, not any specific physical manifestation.
Significance
LeWitt’s wall drawings are central to Conceptual Art. They dematerialize the art object, emphasizing the concept over the artist’s hand. They also challenge traditional notions of authorship and originality. The instructions are the artwork.