Sol LeWitt

Lines of One Inch in Four Directions and All Combinations, 1971

Sol LeWitt’s 16-part graphical portfolio Lines of One Inch in Four Directions and All Combinations of 1971 is an early iconic conceptual work that creates a relationship between the static qualities and changeability of abstract structures. In these artworks, the clearly predefined regularity of the graphical process goes hand-in-hand with the rhythmic openness of the visual result. The graphical medium allowed LeWitt to select a system, and then to execute all possible combinations and permutations in a kind of series. In addition to offering a way of realizing ideas independently, low production costs, relatively high numbers and low purchasing price meant that printed graphics could be made accessible to a wider public. Artistic praxis was no longer to be primarily linked to the status of the individually produced unique artwork. Instead, the goal was to achieve a “democratic art”.