Contemporary Art

SOL LEWITT
(American, born 1928)

Untitled (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1-cross), 1980
Painted aluminum
Gift of the New Art Collectors 1987.18
© 2004 Sol LeWitt/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

An American printmaker, draftsman, and sculptor, Sol LeWitt was one of the most influential leaders of the Conceptual and Minimalist art movements of the 1960s. He trained as an artist at Syracuse University from 1945 to 1949, and during the 1950s he worked as a graphic designer for the architect I. M. Pei. This experience undoubtedly influenced his subsequent work, which was based on the idea of simple geometric forms—such as the cube—arranged to create mathematically planned systems and shapes. For LeWitt, the concept of his sculptural compositions was far more important than the process of execution, and he sought to create works that were void of the artist’s hand. To this end, he often employed technical assistants to carry out his designs. Furthermore, he favored basic white materials, including baked, white enamel and painted aluminum, to perpetuate the idea of neutrality. LeWitt maintained that, “the arrangement becomes the end while the form becomes the means.” In this composition, he created an architectural cruciform composed of towers of empty cubes that ascend to, and descend from, a central structure.

To see a work by Sol LeWitt in the collection of the University of Kentucky Art Museum, click here.