Sol LeWitt (1928, Hartford, Connecticut — 2007, New York) stands as one of the most influential figures in the development of Minimalism and Conceptual Art. Over the course of five decades, he fundamentally reshaped the understanding of artistic authorship by shifting emphasis from the handcrafted object to the underlying idea that generates it. In his seminal writings of the late 1960s, LeWitt proposed that the concept itself could function as the primary engine of an artwork, with execution becoming secondary to the system that structures it.
This approach led him to develop a precise visual language based on simple geometric forms, serial progression, and predetermined rules. Whether in sculpture, wall drawings, or works on paper, LeWitt consistently explored how complex visual outcomes could emerge from clear and often deceptively simple conceptual frameworks.
The exhibition Gouaches & Sculptures brings together a focused selection of drawings, gouaches and sculptures spanning several decades, revealing the breadth of LeWitt’s sustained engagement with geometry and systematic variation. Across these works, the artist constructs visual fields governed by rules: lines radiate from fixed points, geometric shapes are derived from basic volumes, and colored bands unfold according to internal logic. The results demonstrate LeWitt’s conviction that a single idea can generate multiple, equally valid visual outcomes.
LeWitt’s works are in numerous public collections including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Art Institute of Chicago; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Centre National d’Art Moderne Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Turin’s Castello di Rivoli; the Moderna Museet Stockholm; and the Tate Gallery, London.
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