Sol LeWitt
American, 1928–2007
Tangled Bands, 2002
Gouache on paper
11.4 x 11.4 in. (28.96 x 28.96 cm.)
Frame: 16.5 x 16.5 x 1.5 in. (41.91 x 41.91 x 3.81 cm.)
Signed and dated 02 lower right
Lot ID141704
Estimate
5,000—7,000 USD
This vivid yet harmonic work is from Sol LeWitt's prolifically executed and highly individualized series of gouache works on paper, to which he assigned formally descriptive titles such as Wavy Brushstrokes in Color or Horizontal Brushstrokes (More or Less). LeWitt's rigid sense of structure receded as he explored concepts beyond his repeated and perfected geometric variations. New to LeWitt's lexicon in this time are the expressive waves, curves and squiggles, adding new life and perhaps revealing a sense of humor within LeWitt's vastly diverse oeuvre. Though the artworks are brushed with gouache, they are created on paper and referred to as drawings, their titles calling attention to their conceptual framework, and not seeking conversation with the discourse of painting.
Sol LeWitt (1928–2007) was a leading figure in Minimalism and Conceptual Art. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University in 1949, LeWitt served in the United States Army during the Korean War, and then moved to New York. While studying at the School of Visual Arts, he also worked as a graphic designer for Seventeen magazine and architect I.M. Pei. In 1960, he took a job as a night receptionist and clerk at the Museum of Modern Art where his co-workers included Robert Ryman, Dan Flavin, Lucy Lippard and Robert Mangold. LeWitt has since been included in numerous solo exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Tate, London, the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Connecticut (gifted by the artist)
Artnet Auctions, July 31, 2014, lot 100969
Private Collection, North Carolina (acquired at the above sale)