Sol LeWitt Quotes

Artist

Sol LeWitt, born on September 9, 1928, and died on April 8, 2007, was a renowned American conceptual artist. His works are known for their abstract and conceptual nature, particularly for his contributions to wall painting. LeWitt's art emphasizes ideas and processes over traditional aesthetic values.

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All Art Artist Ideas Form Works Of Art Conceptual Art Art Is Simple Ifs May Thinking Viewers Way Development Drawing Important Looks Objects Produce Real

Famous Sol LeWitt Quotes

“When artists make art, they shouldn't question whether it is permissible to do one thing or another.”

Art Artist One Thing

Author:Sol LeWitt

“[The artist's aim is] not to instruct the viewer, but to give him information... . The artist would follow his predetermined premise to its conclusion, avoiding subjectivity. Chance, taste, or unconsciously remembered forms would play no part in the outcome. The serial artist does not attempt to produce a beautiful or mysterious object but functions merely as a clerk cataloguing the results of his premise.”

“Artists of many diverse types began using simple forms to their own ends.”

Ends Form Artist Simple Type Diverse

Author:Sol LeWitt

“An architect doesn't go off with a shovel and dig his foundation and lay every brick. He's still an artist.”

Stills Artist Foundation Lays Architect Bricks Shovels

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“Artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach.”

Artist Logic Conclusion Leap

Book:Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef Albers

Source: Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef Albers

“When words such as painting and sculpture are used, they connote a whole tradition and imply a consequent acceptance of this tradition, thus placing limitations on the artist who would be reluctant to make art that goes beyond the limitations.”

Art Whole Would Be Used Artist Acceptance Painting Tradition Limitation Sculpture Reluctant

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.”

Mean Art Made Ideas Use Form Artist Decision Machines Affair Planning Execution

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“Once it is out of his hand the artist has no control over the way a viewer will perceive the work. Different people will understand the same thing in a different way.”

People Way Different Hands Artist Perceive Different Ways Viewers Different Peoples

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“Artists teach critics what to think. Critics repeat what the artists teach them.”

Thinking Artist Teach Critics Repeats

Author:Sol LeWitt

“I believe that the artist's involvement in the capitalist structure is disadvantageous to the artist and forces him to produce objects in order to live.”

Believe Artist Order Force I Believe Objects Produce Structure Capitalist Involvement

Author:Sol LeWitt

“I didn't want to save art - I respected the older artists too much to think art needed saving. But I knew it was finished, even though, at that time, I didn't know what I would do.”

Thinking Knows Want Art Artist Too Much Needed Finished Saving

Author:Sol LeWitt

“Most ideas that are successful are ludicrously simple. Successful ideas generally have the appearance of simplicity because they seem inevitable. In terms of idea the artist is free to even surprise himself. Ideas are discovered by intuition.”

Ideas Seems Artist Term Simple Successful Surprise Simplicity Appearance Intuition Inevitable

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“New materials are one of the great afflictions of contemporary art. Some artists confuse new materials with new ideas.”

Art Ideas Artist Materials Contemporary New Ideas Affliction Contemporary Art

Book:Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef Albers

Source: Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef Albers

“What the work of art looks like isn't too important. It has to look like something if it has a physical form. No matter what form it may finally have it must begin with an idea. It is the process of conception and realization with which the artist is concerned.”

Ifs Looks May Art Important Ideas Matter Form Artist Process Concerned No Matter What Realization Works Of Art Conception Like Something

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“A work of art may be understood as a conductor from the artist's mind to the viewer's. But it may never reach the viewer, or it may never leave the artist's mind.”

Mind May Art Artist Understood Works Of Art Viewers Conductor

Book:Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef Albers

Source: Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef Albers

“The artist’s aim is not to instruct the viewer, but to give information, whether the viewer understands the information is incidental to the artist.”

Giving Artist Information Aim Viewers

Author:Sol LeWitt

“All intervening steps, scribbles, sketches, drawings, failed work models, studies thoughts, conversations, are of interest. Those that show the thought process of the artist are sometimes more interesting than the final product”

Sometimes Shows Artist Process Interest Interesting Steps Study Products Conversation Models Finals Drawing Thought Process Intervening Scribbles

Book:Sol Lewitt: critical texts

Source: Sol Lewitt: critical texts

“The artist is seen like a producer of commodities, like a factory that turns out refrigerators.”

Artist Turns Producers Factories Commodity Refrigerators

Author:Sol LeWitt

About the Author

Born: September 9, 1928
Died: April 8, 2007
Known for: Artist
Quotes: 54

Books & Sources

Sol Lewitt: critical textsRelated source material

Sol LeWitt wall drawing 1176: seven basic colors and all their combinations in a square within a square : for Josef AlbersRelated source material

From the Collection of Sol LeWitt: A Traveling Exhibition Organized and Circulated by Independent Curators Incorporated, New YorkRelated source material

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