Sol LeWitt,
Wall Drawing #991 and
Wall Drawing #992

Wall Drawing #991 and Wall Drawing #992

On CAS’s second floor landing, Sol LeWitt’s vibrant Wall Drawing #992 (2001) unfolds in three sections, each consisting of 10,000 straight lines drawn in color marker, to create a mesmerizing arrangement of primary colors. On the fourth wall, presenting Wall Drawing #991, 2001, straight, arced, and organic lines encompass the wall in black marker and pencil. These works were generously loaned by the artist's estate; much like James Turrell’s Avaar, they were realized for their presentation at CAS.

LeWitt, a conceptual and minimalist artist, conceived guidelines for his two-dimensional works to be drawn directly on the wall. This work was overseen by a draftsperson, who determined the length and placement of the lines, and executed by five artists local to the area over nearly two weeks.

Detail photographs by Zach Hyman.

About the Artist

The preeminent American artist Sol LeWitt (1928–2007), whose pioneering style defies categorization, is well-known for his wall drawings as well as his many variations of open cube structures, complex forms, and works on paper. A critical departure from the tradition of object-based art, he believed in the primacy of the idea, famously stating: “The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.” In November 2008, “Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective” opened at the MASS MoCA, where it will remain on view for 35 years. Recent one-person presentations include those at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, and the Modern Institute, Glasgow. LeWittʼs works are in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Centre National dʼArt Moderne Georges Pompidou, Paris, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Turinʼs Castello di Rivoli, the Moderna Museet Stockholm and the Tate Gallery, London.