About Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt, born in 1928 in Hartford, Connecticut, was a key figure in the development of Conceptual Art and Minimalism. During the 1960s, he led a radical shift away from the emotional intensity of Abstract Expressionism, asserting that the idea behind an artwork is more important than its physical form. In his influential 1967 essay Paragraphs on Conceptual Art, he wrote, “The idea becomes a machine that makes the art,” emphasizing that all decisions should be made before execution, which he viewed as secondary.
LeWitt’s works, including limited edition prints, paintings, and sculptures, are defined by abstraction, simplicity, and the use of basic geometric shapes and colors. Through repetition and systematic variation, he created complex visual structures that often took the form of large-scale installations. These works challenged traditional notions of authorship and production, firmly situating his practice within Conceptual Art.
LeWitt’s influence remains foundational for later generations of artists, with his prints and sculptures central to the study of idea-driven art. Major retrospectives of his work have been held at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and MASS MoCA. He died in 2007 in New York, leaving a lasting impact on how contemporary art is conceived and made.
