Sol LeWitt (American, 1928-2007) is widely regarded as one of the leading exponents of Minimalism and Conceptual art, and is known primarily for his deceptively simple geometric structures and architecturally scaled wall drawings. He formulated drawing instructions of algorithmic character to have his works executed by other draftsmen, sometimes leaving decisions for the random distribution of elements to the executor (comparable to John Cage, who applied similar principles in compositions, where the performer filled “gaps” in the composition with improvised elements).

“The use of the idea of the random is meant to preclude the conscious placement of elements to form a pattern.”* Sol Le Witt

(…) the parameters of the work are predetermined by the artist, but certain fundamental elements – the direction, number, and form of the lines – are left to the draftsman’s interpretation. Thus, each execution of the drawing differs greatly, challenging the notion that there is one specific realization of an artwork.

(…) this choice articulated LeWitt’s belief that the conception of the idea, rather than its execution, constitutes the art work. He was also rejecting the traditional importance assigned to the artist’s own “hand.”

In other works, LeWitt iterated numerous versions of a specific formal idea as a series of drawings, like his Variations of an Incomplete Open Cube.

*Andrea Miller Keller, “Excerts from a Correspondence, 1981-1983,” Sol LeWitt Critical Texts, AEIUO, Incontri Internazionali D’Arte, Rome, Italy, editing by Adachiara Zevi, 1995.

Wall Drawing 86
Ten thousand lines about 10 inches (25 cm) long, covering the wall evenly.
June 1971

Wall Drawing 614
Rectangles formed by 3-inch (8 cm) wide India ink bands, meeting at right angles.
July 1989

(Reminds me of Marcus´ packing algorithm experiments)

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art has set up a large-scale retrospective of LeWitt, open since November last year. Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective at Mass MoCA comprises 105 of LeWitt’s large-scale wall drawings, spanning the artist’s career from 1969 to 2007. If you want to see it yourself, there´s no need to rush: the exhibition will remain on view for 25 years.

source: destilled from Mass MoCA and complemented

found via: synectasy.com

photographs: Kevin Kennefick

Wall Drawing 797
The first drafter has a black marker and makes an irregular horizontal line near the top of the wall. Then the second drafter tries to copy it (without touching it) using a red marker. The third drafter does the same, using a yellow marker. The fourth drafter does the same using a blue marker. Then the second drafter followed by the third and fourth copies the last line drawn until the bottom of the wall is reached.
October 1995

Wall Drawing 880
Loopy Doopy (orange and green).
Semptember 1998
Wall Drawing 999 (Detail)
Parallel Curves.
August 2001

Unlike many of his earlier drawings, which could be drawn according to a system of instructions, the irregular, undulating design of Parallel Curves is drawn from a projection of a sketch.