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LeWitt x 2: Structure and Line and Selections from the LeWitt Collection
LeWitt x 2 offers a unique perspective on the work of renowned Minimalist and Conceptualist Sol LeWitt, documenting the arc of his career alongside his personal collection of contemporary art. LeWitt is one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. His geometric sculptures, groundbreaking wall drawings and striking works on paper have defined and pushed the limits of art-making for over 40 years. During that time, LeWitt and his wife Carol have further contributed to the art world by compiling and safeguarding a collection of contemporary art, just as they encourage the next generation of artists. LeWitt x 2 presents a selection of work from the LeWitt collection, featuring Carl Andre, Siah Armajani, Dan Flavin, Hans Haacke, Eva Hesse, Jenny Holzer, Donald Judd, Mario Merz, Shirin Neshat, Adrian Piper and Robert Ryman. This remarkable body of work demonstrates the dynamic dialogue between LeWitt and his esteemed contemporaries.
84 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2006
About the author
Sol LeWitt
125 books12 followersSolomon "Sol" LeWitt was an American artist linked to various movements, including Conceptual art and Minimalism.
LeWitt came to fame in the late 1960s with his wall drawings and "structures" (a term he preferred instead of "sculptures") but was prolific in a wide range of media including drawing, printmaking, photography, and painting. He has been the subject of hundreds of solo exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world since 1965.
LeWitt came to fame in the late 1960s with his wall drawings and "structures" (a term he preferred instead of "sculptures") but was prolific in a wide range of media including drawing, printmaking, photography, and painting. He has been the subject of hundreds of solo exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world since 1965.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 11, 2008
I've always liked the work of Sol Lewitt. Reducing designs to graphs for knitting makes grid-based designs appealing to me. And I love flat color for some of the same textile-based reasons, and much of his work plays with color as well as shape.
This well-illustrated book is from an exhibition that contained both Lewitt's work and selections from his extensive collection, the bulk of which was acquired by exhanging art with his friends. Interestingly, the exchange did not for the most part consist of selecting works from each other; each artist selected his own work to give. So Lewitt's collection is not necessarily what he himself would have selected, but rather what his friends chose to give him.
This is not figurative art. There's minimalism, which stresses form, and a lot of conceptualism--Lewitt is usually considered an conceptualist--which bases art on ideas rather than form. Lewitt feels "Ideas alone can be works of art." Artists in his collection I was particularly attracted to: Hanne Darboven, who creates art with words handwritten on a grid, and Alighiero Boetti, who incorporates embroidery into his work. I was also unfamiliar with, but liked, Lewitt's scribble drawings.
Lewitt often does not execute his work himself; he sees himself as the composer, in a way. He develops the art, and writes instructions for others to "play" it--sometimes directly on the wall. His work is very open-ended; though the initial idea or form may be as simple as a cube or line, by changing different aspects--scale, material, complexity, surface--or repeating it in different ways--or by adding and subracting to and from the intital concept--more and more ideas are created, and a metamorphosis occurs.
The accompanying text talks about these subjects, and also tells a bit about the artists in Lewitt's collection. Some of his artist friends also provide commentary on Lewitt and his work. A private yet generous man, Lewitt "wants people to have a relationship with his work, not with him."
This well-illustrated book is from an exhibition that contained both Lewitt's work and selections from his extensive collection, the bulk of which was acquired by exhanging art with his friends. Interestingly, the exchange did not for the most part consist of selecting works from each other; each artist selected his own work to give. So Lewitt's collection is not necessarily what he himself would have selected, but rather what his friends chose to give him.
This is not figurative art. There's minimalism, which stresses form, and a lot of conceptualism--Lewitt is usually considered an conceptualist--which bases art on ideas rather than form. Lewitt feels "Ideas alone can be works of art." Artists in his collection I was particularly attracted to: Hanne Darboven, who creates art with words handwritten on a grid, and Alighiero Boetti, who incorporates embroidery into his work. I was also unfamiliar with, but liked, Lewitt's scribble drawings.
Lewitt often does not execute his work himself; he sees himself as the composer, in a way. He develops the art, and writes instructions for others to "play" it--sometimes directly on the wall. His work is very open-ended; though the initial idea or form may be as simple as a cube or line, by changing different aspects--scale, material, complexity, surface--or repeating it in different ways--or by adding and subracting to and from the intital concept--more and more ideas are created, and a metamorphosis occurs.
The accompanying text talks about these subjects, and also tells a bit about the artists in Lewitt's collection. Some of his artist friends also provide commentary on Lewitt and his work. A private yet generous man, Lewitt "wants people to have a relationship with his work, not with him."
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review