Sol LeWitt
Wall Drawing No. 681, C.1993

The first thing to know about Sol LeWitt's exuberantly colored Wall Drawing No. 681 C is that, for LeWitt, it was all about the idea. The underlying concept of a work of art was of great importance to him, more so than the physical object, which could be as permanent or temporary as the owner wanted it to be. To own a LeWitt wall drawing is to own, in essence, a diagram of the work and a certificate signed by the artist with his instructions for executing the drawing. The drawing doesn't assume physical form until draftsmen carry out the instructions.

When the Gallery acquired Wall Drawing No. 681 C in 1993, two of the artist's studio assistants completed the work LeWitt described this way: a wall divided vertically into four equal squares, separated and bordered by black bands. Within each square, bands in one of four directions, each with color ink washes superimposed. The texture in the color bands was achieved by applying multiple layers of color ink washes, using ink-soaked cloths rubbed in a circular motion. For all LeWitt's emphasis on concept, the drawings themselves are visually striking.

Lewitt developed a system of wall drawings beginning in the late 1960s. They occupy a unique place as works of art: they precede their physical embodiment, and survive their own demise. For once made, they can be painted out and remade in the same or a new location. As LeWitt wrote in 1970, "the wall drawing is a permanent installation, until destroyed."