Lot 147
  • 147

Sol LeWitt

Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
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Description

  • Sol Lewitt
  • Wavy Brushstrokes
  • signed
  • gouache on paperboard
  • 153 by 444cm.; 60 1/4 by 174 3/4 in.
  • Executed in 1995.

Provenance

Gagosian Gallery, New York
RTA, Chester
Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago
Galerie von Bartha, Basel
Private Collection, New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Exhibited

New York, Gagosian Gallery, Sol LeWitt: Very Large Gouaches, 1995
Chicago, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Burton, Fishman, Highstein, Ledgerwood, LeWitt, Mangold, Mills, Ryman, Steir & Zupanc, 1998-99
Chicago, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Sol LeWitt: Works on Paper; Structures, 2000

Condition

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. The sheet is attached verso to the mount in several places. The horizontal edges are deckled. There are artist's pinholes along the edges. Close inspection reveals a few short tears to the horizontal edges, all of which are original. Further very close inspection reveals a few tiny specks of skinning scattered in isolated places.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

“This kind of art is not theoretical or illustrative of theories; it is intuitive, it is involved with all types of mental processes and it is purposeless.” Paragraphs on conceptual art, Sol LeWitt 1967

Wavy Brushstrokes executed in 1995 is notable for its curvilinear forms and free flowing technique, utilising a vibrant palette of primary colours alongside black and white. As a leading post war minimalist and conceptualist artist, Sol LeWitt was renowned for creating a new language of three dimensional forms, derivative of squares, cubes and lines. Wavy Brushstrokes is synonymous with his later works exploring brilliant colour combinations composed of variations of a specific form often repeated and overlaid, moving away from his earlier work characterised by monochromatic tones and geometric forms. A central concave wave flows from the top left to bottom right of this piece trending upwards via a lively matrix of gestural lines. LeWitt paints the primary colours alongside black and white in repetition but not in a sequential formula (as with his instruction art) resulting in transparent overlays and a highly innovative, energetic piece.

During the 1960s, LeWitt started working on his concept of “Structures,” the term he preferred to use to describe his three-dimensional work. LeWitt challenged and rejected fundamental beliefs about art; relinquishing the authority of the artist, he preferred to focus on process and material rather than imbue his work with a specific narrative. LeWitt defined a vocabulary of simplified shapes, applying them to a body of work via a formula of his own invention. Providing the viewer with mathematical equations and architectural specifications, these instructions for producing a piece became the work of art itself. However, from the 1970s onwards, LeWitt began composing his structures with primary colours using gouache to produce free-flowing abstract works. These works provided a significant shift from his previous practice, with regard to his chosen medium and with the visible presence of the artist’s hand. LeWitt’s gouaches are integral to his overall oeuvre, focusing on the primacy of the line and the fundamentals of art making. From his ‘Sentences on Conceptual Art’ LeWitt famously sated, “The artist’s will is secondary to the process he initiates from idea to completion.” (Sol LeWitt, ‘Sentences on Conceptual Art’ in Art – Language, New York 1969, p. 106)