Sol LeWitt
Four Sides of the Tower - Blue
1983

Name: Four Sides of the Tower - Blue
Brand: Sol LeWitt
Price: 3250 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) is an important contributor to the 20th century's most cerebral "isms" notably minimalism and conceptual art. Many of his works were created from elaborate and detailed instructions rather than his own hand or labor. His (in)famous large-scale "wall drawings" for example, destabilized and expanded the definition of authorship as they were executed by teams using instructions. Furthermore these classic "wall drawings" were often temporary - only lasting the duration of an exhibition. Influenced by his time as an architect, LeWitt's artistic practice was rooted in a deep appreciation of geometric forms. Utilizing ratios, patterns, and formulas, the artist would create geometric works across many mediums. Set on a vibrant azure background, this evocative silkscreen features a grid of twelve squares, each containing distinct geometric shapes realized through a series of contrasting line-work. In the following year, this striking composition would be realized as LeWitt's public sculpture "Tower", which applies the 12 geometric designs across four sides of its rectangular, steel surface. The sculpture, which stands at over 21-feet tall, now stands in the plaza in front of the Figge Art Museum in Davenport Iowa. It remains one of the artist's most beloved examples of public art. Click here for examples of this work in yellow and red. Today, LeWitt's work is represented in numerous public institutions including the MoMA (New York), the Tate Modern (London), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris), among others. Questions about this piece? Contact us. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment. "The Four Sides of the Tower for the Community Activities Center, Davenport, Iowa" USA, 1983 Silkscreen Signed and TP (Trial proof) , lower right Outside an edition of 30 25.5"H 32"W (work) Published by Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago Very good condition.

Creator:

Sol LeWitt (1928 - 2007, American)

Creation Year:

1983

Dimensions:

Height: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)

Medium:

Screen

Movement & Style:

Abstract Geometric

Period:

1980-1989

Condition:

Gallery Location:

Toronto, CA

Reference Number:

Seller: 04-241stDibs: LU215214246982

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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.

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