Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing #1187, Scribbles: Curves 2005

  • Not on view

Executed by others according to the artist's instructions, LeWitt's works embody his guiding principle that "once the idea of the piece is established in the artist's mind and the final form is decided, the process is carried out blindly." In keeping with this doctrine, LeWitt described the realization of his works as "potentially performative," likening this process to that of a "composer that writes notes and then a pianist plays the notes. Within that situation there is ample room for both to make a statement of their own."

Starting with basic shapes and simple marks, these works are built up until the result "renders form without space," creating a sense of depth while maintaining the physical integrity of the wall. The resulting works reflect the duration of their own making, a slow and deliberate process. LeWitt's instructions for _Wall Drawing #1187_—made late in his career—call for layers of graphite scribbles that build six densities of gray bands, which take on a temporal, undulating quality.

Gallery label from Sites of Reason: A Selection of Recent Acquisitions, June 11–September 28, 2014.
Medium
Pencil on wall
Dimensions
Dimensions variable, original installation 118 x 118" (299.7 x 299.7 cm)
Credit
Committee on Painting and Sculpture Funds
Object number
1196.2013
Copyright
© 2024 Sol LeWitt / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Department
Painting and Sculpture

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