Not-straight, Broken/Straight, Not-straight, Broken (plate, folio 30) from Grids, Using Straight Lines, Not-Broken Lines and Broken Lines in all Their Possible Combinations
Sol LeWitt
American, 1928–2007
1973
An etching from Sol LeWitt’s 1973 illustrated book that prints one systematic permutation of straight and broken lines to demonstrate a rule-based exploration of form.
A dense, irregular lattice of short, right-angled strokes spreads across the page like a woven field gone slightly off-kilter, its repetitive marks creating a shimmering optical tension that is amplified by the blank facing page.
Typical of LeWitt’s conceptual and serial practice, this work shows how simple instructions and combinatory systems can produce complex visual effects, shifting emphasis from individual gesture to the primacy of idea and process in contemporary art.
Medium
One from an illustrated book with twenty-eight etchings
Dimensions
composition and page: 10 9/16 × 10 9/16" (26.9 × 26.9 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Purchase
Accession
161.1975.27
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
