Forms Derived from a Cubic Rectangle, Plate #12

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Sol LeWitt
Forms Derived from a Cubic Rectangle, Plate #12
1990

About the Item

Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) is one of the most influential contributors to the century's most cerebral "isms", notably minimalism and conceptual art. His famous large-scale "wall drawings" challenged the conventional definition of authorship; many of his works were created from detailed instructions rather than his own hand and labor. Regardless of medium LeWitt is noted for his precise geometric compositions - such as this excellent color-blocked example. In 1974, LeWitt debuted one of his most influential series titled "Variations of Incomplete Open Cubes". As the name suggests he was exploring themes of seriality and variation. The series is a collection of 122 different structures derived from an open cube design, presented alongside the corresponding diagrams of each sculpture. Through a focus on analyzing and disembodying the universally known cube shape, LeWitt created a body of work that existed solely to as a response and exploration of an idea. By doing so, he freed his art from the subjective judgements of composition and expression. This aquatint is from his 1990 series "Forms Derived from a Cubic Rectangle". It was a set of prints that complemented the wall drawings Lewitt was creating. A key approach to his practice, LeWitt is exploring the possibilities of variations from a specific geometric form. LeWitt worked with a number of mediums, however aquatint became LeWitt's preferred printmaking method because of its ability to achieve rich tonalities while enhancing the form's dimensionality on the paper. (Aquatint was the preferred method of printmaking in the late 1700's. It uses acid on a metal plate and is ideal for creating both depth and tonal variations as it burns into the surface. Goya, Mary Cassatt and Audubon are a few of the artists who used this method for printmaking. This particular work is a paradigm of LeWitt's work.

Creator:
Sol LeWitt (1928 - 2007, American)
Creation Year:
1990
Dimensions:
Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Diameter: 26 in (66.04 cm)
Medium:
Aquatint
Movement & Style:
Minimalist
Period:
1990-1999
Condition:
Very good condition Publisher: Multiples Inc., New York Signed and numbered by the artist in pencil Gallery label verso.
Gallery Location:
Toronto, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: 2-211stDibs: LU21527629242

Shop All Sol LeWitt

Sol LeWitt

While New York City’s art scene in the 1950s and ’60s revolved around Abstract Expressionism, multidisciplinary artist Sol LeWitt paved an alternative path, creating a prolific output of work in the genres of minimalism and, later, Conceptual art.

While LeWitt is perhaps best known for his immense “wall drawings,” he created work in a wide range of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. (However, in a characteristic rebuttal of canonical art history, he referred to these pieces as “structures.”) He also produced several texts, including the seminal Sentences on Conceptual Art (1969).

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1928, LeWitt received a BFA from Syracuse University before going to work as a graphic designer for the renowned architect I.M. Pei. He would later work at the book counter at the Museum of Modern Art, where his colleagues included fellow artists. LeWitt’s early exposure to architecture may well have had outsize influence on his subsequent career: He was known for the geometric nature of his work, specifically his fastidious, near-obsessive treatment of the cube, which he rendered repeatedly in various ways throughout his paintings, structures and wall drawings.

In the 1960s, LeWitt showed in several group exhibitions throughout New York and also began to experiment with three-dimensional structures, most modular riffs on the cube shape. His work was included in “Working Drawings and Other Visible Things on Paper Not Necessarily Meant to Be Viewed as Art,” curated by Mel Bochner, another leading exponent of Conceptualism.

Later, LeWitt debuted his now-iconic wall drawings, creating work directly on the walls of galleries and show spaces, beginning with pioneering gallerist Paula Cooper’s inaugural show in 1968. The wall drawings became a prime example of LeWitt’s philosophical approach to art, with their installation often carried out by museum staff or curators following precise instructions from the artist.

“The idea,” the artist once said, “becomes a machine that makes the art.” LeWitt continued to produce work until his death in 2007.

Find a collection of original Sol LeWitt art on 1stDibs.