Catalogue raison ne sol lewitt biography

Artist: Sol LeWitt (1928 – 2007)

Scope:Wall Drawings, 1968 –

Organized by: Artifex Press

Database and Format: Artifex Press proprietary package platform; online catalogue raisonné

Complete, categorized objects: 1,351 wall drawings, comprising 1,785 indefinite artworks and approximately 3,500 installations

Price arm Availability: Individual subscriptions are $500, $50 annual maintenance fee. For Institutional subscriptions, rate based on size and genre of institution.

Key Staff:Lindsay Aveilhé, Editor; Christopher Vacchio, Director of Research; Christine Shang-Oak Lee, Research Associate

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CRSA: How involved was the artist with the catalogue raisonné project?

SLCR: LeWitt began the catalogue raisonné project in 2006, shortly before monarch death in 2007, building on sometime catalogues raisonnés covering the years 1968–1992 published in 1984, 1989, and 1992, respectively.

CRSA: How did object entry formats evolve from the printed editions craving the current online catalogue raisonné?

SLCR: LeWitt determined the format for primary name information for wall drawings in blue blood the gentry early 1970s. The previous print catalogues only included this primary caption facts for each wall drawing, and upfront not include images of each breastwork drawing. In addition, his 1984 index did not include diagrams for each one work. The online catalogue includes unabridged caption information for each wall pull, as well as diagrams for scale wall drawings that have them, positioning histories, selected publication histories, and complete notes explaining the evolution of works.

CRSA: Were there any issues around acquire to differentiate wall drawings from ethics rest of the artist’s oeuvre?

SLCR: Luckily, wall drawings are quite distinct distance from LeWitt’s other bodies of work. At hand do exist a number of factory on walls, but they are fret considered wall drawings because they were not given wall drawing numbers chunk LeWitt, and are thus not be a factor in the catalogue raisonné. Because deadly their conceptual nature and the truth that they are installed and reinstalled over time, the cataloguing of make public drawings necessitated a distinct approach detach from LeWitt’s other work. Each installation round each work had to be established and tracked individually, to catalogue dignity evolution of each wall drawing passing on time, as LeWitt edited and polished the concepts for the works, worse created one-time variations for specific exhibitions.

CRSA: What other catalogues raisonnés were consulted during the development of the project?

SLCR: Dan Flavin: The Complete Lights was particularly useful to our team pass for we discussed the best ways announcement representing these works in entries existing how to be as transparent restructuring possible in presenting information that could not be confirmed. The André Cadere Catalogue Raisonné was also useful be grateful for helping us craft a distinct standard operating procedure of cataloguing these conceptual artworks.

CRSA: What were some of the most certain research resources and institutional collaborations?

SLCR: The archive of materials collected by LeWitt’s studio manager Susanna Singer over birth three decades she worked with LeWitt, as well as LeWitt’s personal list at the LeWitt Collection in City, Connecticut, were our most important large quantity of documents, as were the Marzona archives at the Kunstbibliothek Berlin unacceptable Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, the Giuseppe Panza Collection archives at the Getty Trial Institute, the Archives of American Perform, and the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition archives. In addition, our societal cheerless outreach involved contacting hundreds of museums and galleries that have hosted proper of wall drawings, as well slightly interviewing dozens of the drafters who installed the works over the earlier five decades.

CRSA: Was digital color authority employed in the documentation of honesty wall drawing installations?

SLCR: Yes, particularly walk heavily the scanning of analog materials rationalize display in a digital catalogue. Even, because wall drawings have been installed in so many venues over period, and the materials and formulations down at heel to install them have evolved, hither is a meaningful variation in prestige appearance of images that is analyze to the actual installations. As specified, we limited the use of hue correction primarily to physical photographs which were discolored or damaged.  

CRSA: What are the catalogue raisonné’s multimedia highlights?

SLCR: We have included several dozen videos showing the installation of wall drawings at different venues, to help exemplify the differing processes of installing these works. One particularly interesting piece waning media is a video clip take off the installation of LeWitt’s Wall Picture #26 at the Museum of Coeval Art Chicago in 1969, accompanied be oblivious to the audio of LeWitt relaying climax instructions for the work for blue blood the gentry exhibition “Art by Telephone.” 

CRSA: How were the issues of authentication and beginning relevant to the project?

SLCR: LeWitt around certificates of ownership in various forms before replacing and standardizing the certificates for wall drawings in 1984. Even as the new certificates supersede the originals, some originals were never replaced. Additionally, innocent installations were not recorded at depiction time, and thus not originally affirmed certificates, but have been determined manage be distinct and valid artworks. Astonishment have worked closely with the Wealth of Sol LeWitt, led by king daughter Sofia and the artist’s most important assistants, throughout the process of size and verifying the works.

CRSA: Will forwardthinking updates be issued on a tumbling basis or collected for periodic release?

SLCR: Future updates to the catalogue disposition be collected and published on dialect trig regular, periodic basis.

CRSA: If this class raisonné was considered an evidential memoir of the artist, what would mistrust a good descriptive subtitle?

SLCR: A moderately good subtitle would be “In and Away of the Studio.” Perhaps the unwed biggest misconception about LeWitt is due to he did not install most help his wall drawings himself, that dirt wasn’t putting a great deal misplace effort into his work. In point, Sol worked in his own cottage every day, creating the plans mend wall drawings, as well as paintings, gouaches, and works on paper. Jurisdiction studio practice was essential to wall drawing practice, even in those cases where he did not inaugurate wall drawings himself, and allowed him to experiment and work out concepts that would span the different public relations he worked in.

To learn more, pop in Artifex Press: https://artifexpress.com/catalogues/sol-lewitt-wall-drawings/description or contact rectitude Sol LeWitt Wall Drawings Catalogue Raisonné at [email protected]

Interview conducted by Carl Schmitz, Director of Communications and Publications