Color Archs in Four Directions, 1999
Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt isn’t known for one particular art piece, but rather for the legacy he left behind. One of the pieces LeWitt created is called “Color Archs in Four Directions” (The Artists). This piece is colorful, lively, and plainly simple. To fully appreciate this artwork, one must remember that conceptual art is left up to the audience to interpret so the deeper meaning behind the uncomplicated image, is for the audiences’ appreciation. However, one could see an image with lines, and no deeper meaning.
After LeWitt’s death in 2007, some people questioned his validity as an artist, especially concerning his minimalist pieces such as Color Archs in Four Directions. “In a famous essay from 1967, Clement Greenberg noted that minimalism, like Pop Art, thrived by exploiting ‘the shrinking of the area in which things can now safely be non-art’” (Kimball). With this piece LeWitt expanded the genre of what is considered art because archs are excessively easy to draw, but it was the meaning behind the work that made it art. Minimalist can considered to be a “breath of fresh air” by using clean cut lines and definitive shapes but “what you see is what you see" famously put by Frank Stella. LeWitt tried to disprove that idea, by making work extremely straightforward with suggestions to a profound meaning.
LeWitt’s inspiration came from Edweard Muybridge, who was known for his work with still photos to capture movement of a being. One could say that aspects from Muybridge’s stills could be applied to Color Arches in Four Directions, because of the flowing colors in the panels, but the distinct separation of the black lines. The bright colors in LeWitt’s piece can be construed as happiness, but the stark contrast lines beside the color serve to sybolize the opposite. The shapes of the line in each panel differ, but the reflection of the pattern continues to stay the same, showing that different perspectives can be shown simultaneously. With this work, LeWitt has opened the doors and expanded the term “art” to encompass so much more.
Works Cited:
Kimball, Roger. "Was Sol LeWitt an artist?." 10 April 2007. 27 October 2008 http://www.newcriterion.com/posts.cfm/was-sol-lewitt-artist-4508.
Images Cited:
The Artists. "Color Arcs in Four Directions, 1999." 27 October 2008 http://www.the-artists.org/posters/posters.php?item=1662018.
After LeWitt’s death in 2007, some people questioned his validity as an artist, especially concerning his minimalist pieces such as Color Archs in Four Directions. “In a famous essay from 1967, Clement Greenberg noted that minimalism, like Pop Art, thrived by exploiting ‘the shrinking of the area in which things can now safely be non-art’” (Kimball). With this piece LeWitt expanded the genre of what is considered art because archs are excessively easy to draw, but it was the meaning behind the work that made it art. Minimalist can considered to be a “breath of fresh air” by using clean cut lines and definitive shapes but “what you see is what you see" famously put by Frank Stella. LeWitt tried to disprove that idea, by making work extremely straightforward with suggestions to a profound meaning.
LeWitt’s inspiration came from Edweard Muybridge, who was known for his work with still photos to capture movement of a being. One could say that aspects from Muybridge’s stills could be applied to Color Arches in Four Directions, because of the flowing colors in the panels, but the distinct separation of the black lines. The bright colors in LeWitt’s piece can be construed as happiness, but the stark contrast lines beside the color serve to sybolize the opposite. The shapes of the line in each panel differ, but the reflection of the pattern continues to stay the same, showing that different perspectives can be shown simultaneously. With this work, LeWitt has opened the doors and expanded the term “art” to encompass so much more.
Works Cited:
Kimball, Roger. "Was Sol LeWitt an artist?." 10 April 2007. 27 October 2008 http://www.newcriterion.com/posts.cfm/was-sol-lewitt-artist-4508
Images Cited:
The Artists. "Color Arcs in Four Directions, 1999." 27 October 2008 http://www.the-artists.org/posters/posters.php?item=1662018
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