SolLewitt

rForms The Series two derived a Cuben rPyramidsn from lnd

Watercolours | 982to | 986 works from and matching in other them media THOMAS DREHER

LeWitt has often executedseriesof works in several media: drawings,watercolours, wall-drawings, wallpaintings, printsand books.This goes also sculptures, for the series of works Forms derived from a Cube and Pyramids- the foimer producedfrom 1981 onwards, the latter from 1984. Taq""+l^g.se*o..{\,od Ap loo*eaf-:* Vnq<,eWCy ;"*t"" {oi _

Forms derived a Cubqrom1981onfrom f wards

The informationSol LeWitt gives for the construction system of the Forms derived from a Cubel are reaily brief:

1t"ffifr.ffi['ole, however, to negtect not Lewitt,s

realisations other media as he is constantlyproducin ing connectionsbetween these different mannersof realisation. The relevance,which the two serieshave for the developmentof his concept,can't be discussed here, becausethe space is limited. Neithercan be treated in detail the importanceof the two seriesfor the further development ConceptArt. Only the relationof ship between the two series is important now.

lHtf tf IW 66Et< cus

In an isometric display,the side views are shortened to half of the real lengthand are tilted 45 degreesin relationto the unshortened front and back parts that run parallel the top and bottom marginsof the to

Sol Lewitt, Wall-Drawing, 1986 25Ox 660 cm. Courtesy Galerie Vega, (Lige) Plainevaux

sketchsheet.2This cavalierperspective a type of is t h r e e - d i m e n s i o nd ils p l a y h a t c o n t r a d i c t s v a n i s h i n g a t a point perspective. The front side is drawn in only one viewing axis which in realityyou get only in a pure front perspective that does not allow you to see any p l a n e so f t h e c u b e . I n t h e v a n i s h i n g o i n t p of the other perspective back part can not be as long as the the front side of the cube, as opposedto this isometric perspective shown above,where just this is possible. Usingthe cavalierperspective technicaldrawing, in y o u u s u a l l y h o r t e nt h e l e n g t ho f t h e s i d e sb y h a l f . s LeWitt'scube construction only an approximation is to this principle.

the side of one square.Accordingto the usual rules of technicaldrawing,the shortened sidesof the cube would have the preciselength of one square,so that one would get the measures the side views by of d o u b l i n g h e i r l e n g t hi n t h e d r a w i n g ,w h e n a c t u a l l y t the plannedcube. LeWitt'scube conexecuting structioncan not be used in this way. An alternative this modifiedcavalierperspective to would be the followingaxonometry, which is also called pure, unshortened isometry.

They are drawn by Hereall sidesare unshortened. turningthem by an angle of 60 degrees.LeWitt used displayof a for the axonometry the three-dimensional Project No. 7 (1966)aand for a variation Serial of simply planneddisplayin his serieslncompleteOpen method3enablesthe beholder LeWitt'sconstruction lies d t o s e e t h e i b a s i cc u b e ' a s a u n i t o f f l a t s u r f a c e s e r i v - Cubesf 974).5The drawbackof the axonometry way can not in in the fact that cubes displayed this ed from a square.The sidesof this squarehave to be bodiesat fully as threedimensional be understood The points markingthe dividedinto three sections. first has to make use of The beholder sectionshave to be connectedso that the connecting first sight. to linesform a grid pattern.Into the small squaresat the some abstractions think his way from the immedshape - the hexagon- down to a iatelyperceivable place diagonals; sidesof the grid patternone has to form, the cube. This is necessary, three-dimensional . t h e s ed i a g o n a l s h o u l dr u n p a r a l l e lW i t h i nt h i s u n i t o f can grasp the patternin two dibecausethe recipient the eye to see conflat surfacesone can stimulate more easilythan that of the threemensions, relationvariousthree-dimensional structingideasof this is cube. In the cavalierperspective, dimensional front and back ships.The lengthof the unshortened not the case, despitethe fact that it does not follow parts is the length of two squares.One gets the of closelythe principle the vanishingpoint perspecside views from the diagonal lengthof the shortened outlinesand the missingsymmetry tive. The irregular of one square.This diagonalis a little bit longerthan

Sol Lewitt, Pyramids (Detail), 1986 MagasinCourtesy CentreNational d'Art Contemporain de Grenoble

axis make a more simplethree-dimensional pattern plausible.6 In the followinglines, I want to describethe connection between the flat surfacesand the threedimensional aspectscontainedin the displayof the cube selectedby LeWitt. Thesecognitivereconstructable relationships would have been a further reason for the selection one of the severaldifferenttypes of of isometric display. The relationships planesare betweenthe individual the following:

some of the things done in technicaldrawingthrough certainsubtracting construction methods..The. derivationsare achievedby dividinginto halfsffiquarters the sidesof the 'basic cube' and connecting the r e s u l t i n g i v i d i n gp o i n t sb y l i n e s .T h e f o l l o w i n gl i n e s , d connectingcorner pointsof the grid pattern,are amb i g u o u s n d c a n b e u n d e r s t o o dh r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l l y a t only by taking into accountthe context of particular body constructions:

E a c hp l a n ei n t h e d i s p l a yh a s d o t s a r i a n g e di n a g r i d pattern.Each plane has an equivalent elsewhere in the cube with the same patternof dots. The relation betweenthese planesis quite simplythat the other planeequivalent it, takes its place in the cube, to when tilted 180 degrees.This does not apply to the squarein the middle,exceptwhen you see it as a mirroredimage of itselftilted 180 degreesor as a planethat consistsof two rectangular triangles, one of it being a repetition the other tilted 180 degrees. of LeWitt uses constructionlines to derive from one of the basicforms of bodies- the cube - more complicatedstructures subtraction. by This is quite like

- - - dimensionally ambiguous linesgoingout from cornerpointsof the grid pattern

Some of the linesthat can be connectedin more than o n e w a y i n t h e t h r e ed i m e n s i o n s r e l o s i n gt h e i r a m a biguousmeaningin the cavalierperspective. LeWitt only constructs the three sidesof a body visiblefrom 'viewing one a n g l e.' 7 H e c o u l d d r a w t h e l i n e st h a t a r e not visible,as well. This, however,would upsetthe use of coloursthat have the purposeof denoting p l a n e s . s h e n o n e a l s o d r a w s t h e i n v i s i b l ei n e s ,t h e W l arisingquestionis, how one is going to presentthe p l a n e sh i d d e nb e h i n dt h e v i s i b l ep l a n e s ? h e n s e v e r a l W planesintersect, one denotesthe areasresulting from these intersections, with additional colours,that

.19g6 Sol Lewitt, Wall-awing, 1986 5OO 1337+22,5+257 +22,8+337) cm. Exhibirion x Chambrcsd'Ami6, Gent, June_Seprember, courtesy De Roover-Noirynck/Keppens-Holste6, Gent Photo courtesy l\ruseumvan Hdendaagss Kunst, 6ent i'troto phiiippeoegouert

Sol LeWitt, Wall-Drawing,1986 350 x 2200 cm. Lige Mus6ed'Art Moderne, Vega, Galerie PhotoCourtesy Lige Plainevaux,

the would indicatewhich side intersects other. But then one would get to a point where the complicated colouringwould obscurethe form of the body one Then the beholder wants to show in the watercolours. these bodiesfor himself, would have to reconstruct disas is the case in some of LeWitt'saxiometric p l a y s ,b e c a u s e s i m p l et h r e e d i m e n s i o n ap a t t e r ni s l a . o n o t p l a u s i b l eL e W i t tl e a e s u t a n y l i n e m e a n tt o i n dicatewhether a body is basedon a triangleor a squareas its basicform. Everybody that can be procan be onduced along the linesof the watercolours, that have three identily one out of many alternatives cal sides. The coloursdenotingthe planesare selectedso as to t a a a f a c i l i t a t e c h i e v i n g n i m m e d i a t eh r e e - d i m e n s i o ne flcolour$mean that the flat marked fect. The brightest poby it is at the front, a darkercolour*indicates sitionsat the top, and two very dark coloursare for p l a n e sp o s i t i o n e d t t h e s i d e s . a With the help of a grid patternas the underly_ing e p l a n n i n g y s t e mw i t h ' c o m m u n i c a t i v s i g n s ' , e e r v i n g s s is the cavalierperspective one's practicalpurposes, drawingsystemthat is modifiedinto an autonomous l T o i n d e p e n d e n t f a n y p r a c t i c ap u r p o s e . h i s m o d i f i e d two- and threesystemwill allow one to recognize m a e d i m e n s i o n a li , m e d i a t e n d c o n s t r u c t i v w a y s o f reading s a themein its own right. a d A l l t h i s i s d o n e b y a g e n e r i c i s p l a yo f f o r m s t a k e n ' b a s i cc u b e ' . T h e s ef o r m s t h e g r a m m a ro f t h e from are able to provokedifferentways of reading.The be'autobetweenthe holdercan createconnections 'communicai n o m o u ss i g n s ' 1 0n t h e d r a w i n ga n d t h e , t i v e ' a s p e c to f t h e s es i g n s ,b y d e v e l o p i n go n t h e o n e h a n d , i d e a sa b o u t h o w t o c a r r yo u t t h e d r a w n b o d i e s t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n ailnyt h e s p a c e ,a n d o n t h e o t h e r l t h a n d b y c o n n e c t i n g h e i d e a sw i t h t h e d i r e c tt h r e e areffectsof the drawings.The suspense dimensional and construction ising betweenthe three-dimensional w i t h e i l l u s i o n f p l a s t i c i t yn t h e d r a w i n g s i l l b e d i s o cussedbelow. d I n t h e f r e e - h a n d k e t c h e s i a g o n a l i n e sa r e s o m e t s imes drawn acrosstwo adjacentsquaresof the grid

pattern.Obviously, LeWitt does this only when no flat body appearsat the sides surfaceof the constructed of the cube that are on these squaresof the grid patlinesthat have ternl{There are even such construction been crossedout, left out, or not used at all, as well a s f a u l t yc o l o u r i n g . Evenback in 1981 and 1982, LeWitt used two of the th ree bodv. co nstructions, in -wa$gqg&f.t"Jyo m th e

yearl gesHHtW#fdfr8fiArzunn% on srey iiir

w b a c k g r o u n df,o r p r o d u c i n g o r k s i n o t h e r m e d i a .A s in earlyas in a seriesof drawingspublished Artfothe rum,12and in variousWatt-Drawings,13 truncated p y r a m i da n d t h e o b t u s e - a n g l ep a r a l l e l e p i p e d o ne ar d s f e a t u r e d . l a n l i k et h e w a t e r c o l o u r f r o m 1 9 8 3 , n o n e U derivedfrom of these variantsshows the construction 'basic cube'. LeWittwrote me about the form of the in the method of usingthe same line of construction as the watercolours well as in other media I . |!'l1211985) <Usually do the drawings and the watercolours as such - not for use otherwise. I do walldrawings similar to the drawings or watercolours on paper.r, we The watercolours have ben talkingabout by have been constructed using so far in this essay, Form derived from a Cube that was used in the same t o t h e r m e d i a .T h i s b e i n gs o , i t s e e m sl o g i c a l o t h i n k that LeWitt'sstatementdoes not refer to the construction,but to the coloursor linesthat mark the diff e r e n ts i d e so f t h e b o d y a n d t h e b a c k g r o u n dl.n r e in spect of the colours,the watercolours questiondiffer from older works carriedout in other media. From a the fact that, in 1984, LeWitt repeated watercolour d f r o m 1 9 8 3 , w h i c h h a d a n o b t u s e - a n g l ep a r a l l e l e p i p e don, we can infer that it is importantfor LeWittto when he have differentcoloursfor the background, paintsthe same construction coloursfor with identical of the figure in differentworks. ln the repetition the is the dark grey background changfirst watercolour, Now the construction ed to a bright grey background. t h e \ b a s i c u b e i b u t a l s ot h e c l i n e sd o n o t o n l y s h o w grid patternon which it is based.lt strikesme that in of more recentvariations the same body, LeWitt g t e e x p o u n d s v e n m o r e p r e c i s e l yh e p r i n c i p l e u i d i n g 5

sol Lewitt, watercolour,1984 57 x57 cm. courtesyGalerie schiessel, Mnchen

o n a b a c k g r o u n dT h e r e l a t i o n f c o l o u r s ,w h i c h c o n . o stitutesthe tone of this background not repeated is e l s e w h e r en t h e t r i a n g l e s . r o i Some of the triangles, especially when they are exThe Pyramid drawingsfeature colouredtriangles,that t r e m e l ya s y m m e t r i c a l , a y a p p e a ri n c o m b i n a t i o n m are, in most cases,acute-angled. One or both of the with other, viewer asymmetrical triangles, if they as longersidesof a triangleborderon sides of other were on an axis rotatedderivations anothertriangle of triangles with the same length.Those sidesof the with a simplerform, seen from the front. According triangles that are touchingeach other, are neverthe t o R u d o l fA r n h e i m ,t h e i l l u s i o n f t h e ' d e p t h e f f e c t ' , o 'distortion', shortestsidesof the triangles.By arranging triangles broughtabout througha perceptual is in this way, you get at the top a point, where two of made very evident to the beholder,<because their the three sidesof each triangleconvergerespectively compensation in the third dimensions produces the from where they are radiating, and below a kind of simplestavailablepatterns.rl6 But with trianglesthis 'angular c u r v e ' , c o m p o s e d f s h o r t s i d e sl i n e du p i n o d o e s n ' tf u n c t i o na s w e l l a s w i t h r e c t a n g l e sT h e s i g n s . d i f f e r e n a n g l e s .I n t h e e x a m p l e s n o w n t o m e , t h e t k of the drawing may ratherlead the recipient conto figure thus achieved forms a pattern,standingisolated structions possible of spaces,which give the two6

h i s c o n s t r u c t i o nb y a d d i n gs u p p o r t i n gi n e s . , l

Pyramids, 1984 from onwards

Sol LeWitt, Watercolour, 1983

20x20

c m . C o u r t e s y G a l e r i eS c h i e s s e l ,M n c h e n

d i m e n s i o n a l r m s a f u n c t i o nf o r ' c o m m u n i c a t i n g ' fo t h r e e - d i m e n s i o nb o d i e st h a n t o a ' c o m p e n s a t i o n al in t h e t h i r dd i m e n s i o n s ' . By using different'brightng^ss gradients'17 and differ'gradient[s] ent o f c o l o u r ' ' i n d i f f e r e n t r i a n g l e st,h e colouringmay intensify, modify, or weakenthe sense provokedby the forms. lf you read a of plasticity t h r e e - d i m e n s i o nq u a l i t yi n t o a ' p y r a m i d ' - d r a w i n g , al 'depth 'perceptual effects' by optical 'distortions' and gradients'may intensify alter your constructions or on al a psychologiclevel.le The addedtrianglesmay invokeassociations reliefof l i k e c r e a t i o n sl,i k ef a n s , o r o f b o d i e s ,l i k e p y r a m i d s , w h i c h m a y a l l u d et o s o m e t h i n g i k et e n t s . l When I asked him about the systemthe watercolours m i g h t b e b a s e du p o n , L e W i t tg a v e m e t h e f o l l o w i n g

answer: <Thepyramids are done without a system but a seriesof interrelatedtrianglesl2o These relationships betweentriangles can be deducedfrom pyramids in the series of works Forms derived from a Cube,just like the relationships to betweentriangles be seen in the Wall-Drawingspresentedat the Galleria Mario Pieroni2l in Rome in 1983, or in a waterc o l o u ro f t h e s a m e y e a r . 2 2f o n e w o u l d a b a n d o nt h e l isometric cube construction shown in the watercolour j u s t m e n t i o n e dt,h e n s u c h a w a t e r c o l o u c o u l d b e r 'cubes', n c l a s s i f i e d o t o n l y a s a w o r k b e l o n g i n go t h e t 'pyramids'like 'Wallbut also to the seriesof the Drawings' shown in Rome. However,the ways of t h r e e - d i m e n s i o nra la d i n g i l l b e c o m em o r e o p e n e w without the three-dimensional construction basedon t h e ' b a s i c c u b e ' . T h e t o p o f t h e p y r a m i di n t h e w a t e r -

c o l o u rm e n t i o n e d b o v e ,l i e so n t h e t o p m a r g i no f t h e a f l a t s u r f a c ea t t h e b a c k o f t h e ' b a s i cc u b e ' ; i n t h e i m m e d i a t e h r e e - d i m e n s i o nia l p r e s s i o n i t h o u t a c o n t m w structiont appearsn the middle.23 i i l l The Forms derived from a Cube clearlydefine the pos i t i o no f t h e f i g u r ei n t h e s p a c e ,b u t s t i l l c r e a t ei m pressions inconsistent with the senseof threep . d i m e n s i o n a l l a s t i c i t yW h e n t h e r e c i p i e n lto o k sa t t h e Pyramids, is confrontedwith the task to underlay he the form on display ith somecubicor non-cubic w c o n s t r u c t i o nn o m a t t e r ,w h e t h e ro r n o t t h i s c o n , structionis consistent with the immediateimpression o f p l a s t i c i t yn t h e s p a c e ,w h i c h t h e b e h o l d e r e t s i g f r o m i t . L o o k i n g t L e W i t t ' sw o r k s , t h e b e h o l d e r a n a c a l w a y se s t a b l i s h i r e c ta n d i n d i r e c t o n s t r u c t i n ge d c r l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e nt h e ' a u t o n o m o u s i g n s 'a n d t h e s s 'communicative s i g n s ' i n t h r e e - d i m e n s i o ns p a c e . al T h e ' t w o f o l ds e m i o t i c u n c t i o n 'o f s i g n sa c t i n g' a u t o f ' n o m o u s l y 'i n t h e w o r k , a n d v i r t u a l l yc o m m u n i c a t i v e ' i n t h e b e h o l d e r ' s e c e p t i o nc a n t h u s b e m a d e e v i r , dent.2a ln the Pyramids, as well as in the Forms derived from a Cube, a suspense betweenthe two- and the threedimensional ays of reading prings o life,interactw s t i n g w i t h a d i r e c ta n d a c o n s t r u c t i n g a y o f r e a d i n g . w T h e b e h o l d e r a n r e v e a lt o h i m s e l ft w o - a n d t h r e e c dimensional ays of readingthe works in an direct w or a constructingmannerrfi"s?'teWitt the question m e n t i o n e d b o v e ,a b o u t t h e u n d e r l y i n g y s t e mf o r t h e a s Pyramiddrawings,becauseone can clearlysee from the drawing done to preparethe Wall-Drawingat the exhibitionProcess& Konstruktionin Munich last year t h a t L e W i t tc a n a l s o d e v e l o p h e t r i a n g l e s y u s i n g t b w a y s o f c o n s t r u c t i o nl;i k et h e o n e s h e u s e d i n h i s
Sol LeWitt,10/82, (798?

seriesLocationsof Points/ Lines/ Forms.25yet, s o m e a r t i s t i c e c i s i o n s a v e b e e n m a d e h e r e ,t h a t d h c a n n o t b e e x p l a i n e d y t h e m e t h o do f c o n s t r u c t i o n . b ln the Locationsseries,LeWitt did not give inform a t i o na b o u t m e a s u r e m e n t s ,e c a u s e h i s c o n c e p t b t can be repeated often as required, supportsof as on anysize.26 I n t h e d r a w i n gm e a n tt o p r e p a r e h e w o r k s f o r t h e t M u n i c he x h i b i t i o nh o w e v e r ,t h e m e a s u r e m e n to f t h e , s w a l l s ,a s w e l l a s t h e m e a s u r e m e n tfs r t h e l e n g t h s o t h a t c a n n o t b e d e d u c e df r o m t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n e m thod, are given. Thus, Ihis Wall-Drawingcan be rep e a t e do n l y o n a w a l l o f t h e s a m e s i z e . L e W i t tw r o t e m e a b o u t h i s p y r a m i ds c u l p t u r e s : <Forpyramids the drawings look like this:

The dark line is the base. The X is the apex. The height is usually the same as the length & width of the base or half or double. - Atl pieces are white.r27 T h e s ep y r a m i d s o o k l i k e m o d e l sc a r r i e do u t a f t e r l d r a w i n g s- a s t a g ei n t h e p r o d u c t i o n r o c e s s a t p , w h i c h o n e m a y s o l i c i tt h e a s s i s t a n c o f a t e c h n i c a l e d r a w i n gb u r e a ut o w o r k o u t t h i n g sb e t w e e nt h e p l a n n i n g p h a s eo f t h e p r o j e c ta n d t h e p h a s e ,i n w h i c h i t i s put into practice.The flat surfacesof the pyramids m i g h t a p p e a ri n v a r i o u sd e g r e e s f b r i g h t n e s sd u e t o o , l i g h t c o m i n g i n f r o m o n l y o n e s i d e .O n e c a n g e t a n i m m e d i a t e i s u a li m p r e s s i o n f t h e p l a s t i c i t y f t h e v o o b o d y ,b e c a u s e h e ' b r i g h t n e s s r a d i e n to f t h e p l a n e s t g '

Watercolour hardboard, 4x20 cm. C o u r t e s y G a l e r i eS c h i e s s e l ,M n c h e n on 1

changesfrom strongto weak and from weak to s s t r o n g .O n e c a n e x p e r i e n c eh e r e a l p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e t b o d y b y g o i n g r o u n d i t . B o t h o b s e r v a t i o nm a y s h a r e s a c e r t a i ns u s p e n s e e t w e e nt h e m , s i n c et h e i m m e d i b t p a t e l yv i s i b l e' s i m p l e s a v a i l a b l e a t t e r n 'd o e s n o t n e give one the real proportions the body in cessarily of y t h e s p a c e .S o m e t i m e s o u w i l l e v e n g e t , i n t h e c a s e , p o f s o m e p y r a m i d s a t w o - d i m e n s i o n a la t t e r n ,i f t h e l i g h t m e e t st h e o b j e c ti n a s p e c i a w a y , p a r t i c u l a r l y l when you see it for the very first time. LeWitt's Working Drawingsfor the 'pyramids' show thal Wall-Drawings and sculpturescan be based on c e r t a i nm e t h o d so f c o n s t r u c t i o nw h i c h i n t u r n c a n f a , p c i l i t a t e h e i n t e l l e c t u a lr o c e s s f f i n d i n gf o r m s . T h e y t o are not, however,arrangedso neatlyas to give us a 'grammar' sortof a s c o n s i s t e na s t h e ' g r a m m a r 'o f t 'basic the c u b e ' , w i t h t h e l o g i c a lr e l a t i o n s h i p ss t a b e l i s h e db e t w e e ni t s p l a n e sa n d i t s t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l a s p e c t s . h i s s u s p e n s e e t w e e nc l o s e da n d o p e n l i T b near systems is a salientfeatureof Sol LeWitt's @uvre: uThereare several ways of constructing a work of art. One is by making decisionsat each step, anotherby inventing system to make decisions.r2s a L e W i t tu s e sa l l p o s s i b i l i t i e s o p e n a n d c l o s e ds y s of j t e m s w i t h o u t a n a e s t h e t i cu d g e m e n t s a g u i d et o a a preference one of them or of a certainbalance of b e t w e e nt h e m . T h i s c o n c e p t u ailn d i f f e r e n c a g a i n s t e j a e s t h e t i cu d g e m e n t ss a ' b l i n dj r r p ' " o u t o f i aesthetic conveniences. The surprising resultsmay be very far or very near to such conveniences: LeWitt d o e s n ' tc a l c u l a t e o w f a r t h e ' j u m p ' h a s t o c a r r y h i m h i n t o n e w r e g i o n s . o h i s c o n c e p t u ailn d i f f e r e n cte S o judgementsis also an indifference the aesthetic to r distinction betweenthe old and the new. Translatedby Michael Mller, revised by the author
(1 ) Sol Lewitt, on the 'l 3th of January 1986, in a letter to the author. The thin strokes of the sketch reproduced below, have been done by LeWitt with a pencil, and the thick strokes have been done with a black felt tio. (2) LeWitt used the isometric display in patterned drawings of sculptures, already s o m e y e a r s a g o ( c f . C a t . o f e x h i b . S . L . , H a a g sG e m e e n t e m u s e u m ,D e n H a a g , 1 9 7 0 ; C a t . o f e x h i b . S . L . , P a s a d e n aA r t M u s e u m . L o s A n g e l e s , 1 9 7 0 ; C a t . o f e x h i b . S . L . : Five Structures, HamarskjoldPlazaSculpture Garden/John Weber Gallery, New York, 1 9 7 6 ; C a t . o f e x h i b .S . 1 . , M u s e u m o f M o d e r nA r t , N e w Y o r k , 1 9 7 8 , p . 7 1 , p . 7 4 ,
d.u.

(3) As it emerg.es,for instance, from a watercolour reproduced in the catalogue of th e exh ib ition Atir,ru.ctte", t(s6e|att<rr^^g[v6eirr 7 Kassel, 1 984 a n d S ix l so-metr ic Figures drawn with india ink washes on the walls of the Gewad, Gent, i984. ( 4 ) C a t . o f e x h i b . S . L . , H a a g s G e m e e n t e m u s e u m ,D e n H a a g , 1 9 7 0 . (5) Cat. of exhib. S.L.: lncomplete Open Cubes ..., Klnischer Kunstverein, Kln, 1 9 7 9 , t i t l ep a g e ;C a t . o f e x h i b .S . L . . M u s e u m o f M o d e r n A r t , N e w Y o r k , 1 9 7 8 , p . 8 1 . Another alternativeexample for the isometry, as used by LeWitt: cf . e.g. Cat. of exhib. Aquarelle, Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel, 1981 Amerikanische Zeichnungen 1g307980, Stdtische Galerie, Frankfurta.M., 1985-86, p.97; Cat. of exhib. S.L.: Locations of Three Geometric Figures, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, 1974. (6) R. ARNHEIM, Art and Visual Perception. A Psychology of the Creative Eye, Berkeley/Los ngeles, 1957, p. 203 a.o. A (7) In analogy to this, his'cube', made of stones covered with gesso (1984), on display at the exhibition Sculpture in the 20th century in Basel, has no top side, because the cube is too high to allow one to see the top side (reproduced. e.g. in S. GASSERT, Zwischen Kunsttourismus und Standortsuchein Kunstforum, 1984, Bd. 73114, 1984, p.74. I n 1 9 8 4 , o n e c o u l d s e e t h i s i n a m o d e l , d i s p l a y e da t t h e G a l l e r yS c h e l l m a n n& K l s e r , Mnchen. ( 8 ) F r o n t p l a n e : o c h r e ; t o p p l a n e : r e d ; s i d e p l a n e : b l u e , b l a c k . O n t h e p y r a m i d s .t h e colour red may appear on the front plane and at the shortened sides (See Cat. of exhib. S.1., Au fond de la cour droite, Chagny, 1984). In the free-hand sketches the colours have been given numbers (obviously before the colours were laid on): 1 =ochre; 2:red', 3:blue; 4:black. (9) J. MUKAFOVSKY, L'art comme fait sociologique in Actes du huitime Congrs lnternational dq,Philosophie Prague,2-7 September 1934, Prague, 1936, p. 1068. (10)-J. uUreROVSrY, Op. cit.,p. 1067. (11)$-eWitt gave it the number 14Ot82. LeWitt marks the drawings with dates. He g i v e s m o n t h , ( i n s o m e c a s e s ) d a y , a n d y e a r . T h e u n u s u a l s i g n a t u r eo f t h i s d r a w i n g was explained by LeWitt like this: uThe 82 would be 1982 but the 140 is a mystery.>

I n t h e s e c o n d l e t t e r( 1 3 i 1 / 1 9 8 6 ) h e w r o t e , a f t e r s e e i n gt h e p h o t o g r a p h I h a d s e n t h i m : K140/82 seems to be 10/82 as lcan see from the photo - anyway it is a date.> l121 5.L., withouta title, in Artforum, October 1981, p. 59-69, and title page. The three visible planes of the drawn objects are marked by one different hatching for each s i d e ( f r o n t p l a n e : h o r i z o n t a l ;t o p p l a n e : d i a g o n a l l y f r o m l e f t t o r i g h t ; s i d e p l a n e : vertical. ) 'cube'-drawings Other sets of in Cat. of exhib. Flyktpunkter, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, 1984, p. 142-153; Edition S.L.: Forms derived from a Cube, Multiples I n c . , N e w Y o r k , G a l l e r i aB o n o m o , B a r i , 1 9 8 4 . ( 1 3 ) B e t w e e n 1 9 8 1 a n d 1 9 8 2 , i n t h e w a l l - d r a w i n g s ,i n w h i c h t h e t r u n c a t e d p y r a m i d and the obtuse-angled parallelogramwere used, Sol LeWitt varied the marking of the several sides in the following way: - h a t c h i n g sw i t h b l a c k c h a l k ( d i r e c t l o n s f t h e h a t c h i n g sf o r e a c h s i d e a s s h o w n i n o Artforum - cf . note 12) (Cat. of exhib. S.L.: Wall-Drawings 1968- /984, Stedelijk M u s e u mA m s t e r d a m ,1 9 8 4 , N o . 3 5 3 , p p . 1 2 5 a n d 1 9 1 ) ; - no marking of the several sides; black borders, 7,5 cm broad. to represent all edges of the objects (Cat. of exhib. S. L.: Wall-Drawings ..., as above, No. 361 , , pp. 133 and 192); - hatchings with black borders, 7 ,5 cm broad (directions of the hatchings for each plane as in Artforum. See note 12 rcaL of exhib. S.L.: Wall-Drawings ..., No. 356, p. 130 a.o., p. 192). - various hues of grey (front plane: bright grey; side plane: black) on a bright grey b a c k g r o u n d( C a t . o f e x h i b . S . L . : W a l l - D r a w i n g s . . . , a s a b o v e , N o . 3 5 4 , p . 1 2 8 a.o., p. 133, p. 191; No. 375, p. 142, 148, 1931; - various coulour tones (the way the planes are marked is the same as in the watercolours) on bright grey background and with a black frame along the whole w a l l ( C a t .o f e x h i b . S . L . : W a l l - D r a w i n g s . . , N o . 3 8 0 , p . 1 4 0 a . o . , p . 1 5 4 , p . 19 3 ; . without frame repeated in Cat. of exhib. 20 jaar verzamelen, Stedelijk Museum, p. 28],. Amsterdam, 1984, ( 1 4 ) R u p e r tW a l s e r t h i n k s a b o u t t h e p r o b l e m , w h y t h e r e a r e n o c u r v e s a n o c o n c a v e and convexe planes of objects that could be outlined by them (R. WALSER, Eine Reise zu Sol LeWitt nach ltalien in New Art in Europe, 10, 1985, p.8). (15) The selection of colours is based on a closed system of combinations of four colours with each other, which is shown in Four basic colors and all their combinations, in Cat. of exhib. La Grande Parade, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1984, p. 211 a.o. Within this system hue-variants are possible by using more of totally f .e. Jqur,gr-fjve parts of one colour than of the one, two or three other colours. LeWitt fi8Eftbifthis closed colour-system with a linear syntax which constitutes an open system. LeWitt uses different manners to denote the colours inlheWorking Drawings. For an explanation of one of these manners see T. DREHER,Beuys zu Ehren, in: Das Kunstwerkd XXXIX, 1986, in print. See also the sketches for Wall-drawrngs, in: R. WALSER, Process & Konstruktion, in New Art in Europe, 8, 1985, p.34; Cat. of exhib. Mario Merz - Sol LeWiff, GalleriaPieroni, Roma, 1985; Cat. of exhib. Chambres d ' A m i s , M u s e u m v a n H e d e n d a a g s e u n s t , G e n t , 1 9 8 6 , p . 1 1 6 1 ' l9 . K (16) R. ARNHEIM, p. cit.,p 226. O (171 t(The light creates a spherical gradient that spreads from one point to all directions in space.o (R. ARNHEIM, Op. cit., p. 225],. (18) Stronger colours in the front, paler colours in the back create a three-dimensional ( v i s u a li m p r e s s i o n c f . R . A R N H E I M ,O p . c i t . , p . 2 2 4 1 . (19) R. ARNHEIM, f. note6, p.223 a.o. c (20) Sol Lewitt in a letterto the author on 13/1/1986. (211 Cat. of exhib. S.L.: Wall-Drawings cI. note 13), No.407. pp. 158 and 196. (221 The body construction and the colours of this watercolour (cf . note 3) are the s a m e a s i n o n e o f t h e w a l l - d r a w i n g sa t t h e G a l l e r i aP i e r o n i ,R o m a . (23) This also falls in line with Arnheim's hypothesis, that the distortions can be brought back into perspective to form the simplest possible pattern (cf. note 16). Q4l J. MUKAFOVSKY Op. cit., p. 1069. , (25) See picture in: R. WALSER, Process und Konstruktion in New Art in Europe,8, (see note 1 5) the wall-drawing put into practice is shown in a photograph 1985, p. 34 in: T. DREHERand W. HEINDL, Nachbericht... in Fotosrafie Kultur Jat4t,40,.J985,. p.78; M. HBL, Prozessund Konstruktion, Mnchenl 198b,;t:'17d)"l-fir-''''"" Other Pyramid-Wall-Drawings in Cat. of exhib., Arte contemporanea, Castello di Rivoli ( T o r i n o ) / c o m i t a t o e r l ' a r t e i n P i e m o n t e ,1 9 8 5 , p . 5 5 , 5 7 , 1 2 9 (No.57); Cat. of p exhib., Mario Merz-Sol LeWitt, ibidem, (exhib. criticized by P.L. TAZZI, in Artforum, S u m m e r 1 9 8 6 , p . 1 3 4 ) ; C a t . o f e x h i b . , S . L . - P y r a m i d e nG a l e r i eP e t e rP a k e s c h ,W i e n , , 1 986 (exhib. criticized by P. GROOT, in: WolkenkratzerArt Journal , Nr. 1 3, 3. JS., J u n i / J u l i / A u g u s t3 / 1 9 8 6 , p . 6 9 ) ; C a t . o f e x h i b . : l t a l i a A p e r t a , M a d r i d / l d e a B o o k s , Amsterdam 1986; J. GUILLOT, S.L.: Wall-Drawings au Magasin, Grenoble, in GaleriesMagazine,14, 1986, p. 59. 86; Cat. of exhib. Eeuys zu Ehren, Lenbachgalerie, Mnchen 1 986, p 3.35^181, (26) See Cat. of exhib. S.L.: The Location of Eight Points, Max Protech Gallery, Washington D.C., 1974; Cat. of exhib. S.L.: Ihe Location of Three Geometric Figures: Three Wall-Drawings, Galleria Sperone, Torino 1974, (27) Sol LeWitt in a letter to the author on 211211985. The grid pattern of LeWitt's free-hand drawing is done with red felt tip, everything else is done with black felt tip. T h e e x a m p l e , a c t u a l l y p u t i n t o p r a c t i c e , i s p u b l i s h e di n : R . W A L S E R ( c f . n o t e 1 4 ) , p.9. Announcement S.L., New Structures, Young Gallery, Chicago in Artforum, Summer 1986, p.24. (28) Cat. of exhib. S.L. Wall-Drawings ... (cf. nore 13), p. 20. (29) L. WIJERS, Gesprek met Sol LeWitt, in Museumjournaal 1512, april 1970, p. 147. On 13.1.1986 LeWitt wrote me. that he follows today the same intention, which he had expressed in his definition of 'conceptual art' as a 'blind jump' out of the rational into the irrational while doing rational things automatically. This article is a revised version of the german essay in: Cat. of exhib. S.L.: Aquarelle v o n 1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 5 , G a l e r i eS c h i e s s e l ,M n c h e n , 1 9 8 6 .

Sol LeWitt (o1928, Hartford,Connecticut, U.S.A.) livesand works in Spoleto(ltatyland New York City. Thomas Dreheris preparinga thesis on <ConceptArt in America and England between 1965 and 1975D.He works as an art-critic tor Das Kunstwerk and Neue Kunst in Europa.

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