Sol Lewitt Quotes

Powerful Sol Lewitt for Daily Growth

About Sol Lewitt

Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) was an American artist and a pivotal figure in the conceptual art movement. Born on September 9, 1928, in Hartford, Connecticut, he grew up in a family with strong artistic leanings – his father, a draftsman for an insurance company, and his mother, a seamstress and amateur painter. LeWitt's early artistic influences were diverse, ranging from European modernists like Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky to American abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. However, it was the minimalist and conceptual art movements that would shape his distinctive style. In 1945, LeWitt enrolled at Syracuse University but left after two years to serve in the U.S Army. Upon his discharge in 1953, he returned to Syracuse and completed his degree. He then moved to New York City, where he would become an integral part of the avant-garde art scene. LeWitt's major works are characterized by their minimalist aesthetic and emphasis on concepts over physical execution. His most famous series include "Wall Drawings" (1968), a collection of abstract designs created directly onto walls, and "Structures" (1965-1970), modular geometric forms constructed from wooden units. One of LeWitt's most influential contributions to the art world was his introduction of the idea that ideas themselves could be works of art. This conceptual shift allowed him to create complex, large-scale installations with simple instructions rather than physical labor. LeWitt taught at Yale University for nearly three decades and inspired countless students, including artists Richard Tuttle and Brice Marden. His influence extended beyond the art world as well; his ideas about creativity and artistic process have been applied in fields such as architecture, design, and computer programming. Sol LeWitt passed away on April 8, 2007, leaving behind a rich body of work that continues to challenge and inspire artists today. Key quotes from him include: "The idea becomes a machine that makes the art," and "Art is a visual thing; it's not a rational process."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Concept first, then execution."

Sol LeWitt's statement "Concept first, then execution" signifies that ideas or concepts should take precedence over technical implementation in art creation. It emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision or plan before starting to create, suggesting that successful art is not just about skillful execution but also about the thought and meaning behind it. This quote underscores the significance of conceptualization in the creative process, encouraging artists to develop a strong idea and then carefully execute it to bring their vision to life.

"Art is not a thing; it is a way."

Sol LeWitt's quote "Art is not a thing; it is a way" emphasizes that art is not just an object or tangible creation, but rather, it represents a method, a process, or an approach to life. It suggests that art is not only about creating something beautiful or meaningful, but also about the journey, exploration, and expression involved in the creative process. This perspective encourages us to see art as a way of thinking, perceiving, and experiencing the world around us.

"The idea becomes a machine that makes the art."

Sol LeWitt's quote, "The idea becomes a machine that makes the art," emphasizes the importance of conceptualization in the creative process. In this context, an "idea" is not just a fleeting thought but a well-defined structure or principle that guides the artist's work. By refining and developing this idea into a systematic process, it acts as a "machine" to generate and produce artwork automatically, with consistency and reproducibility. This quote suggests that an artist's original concept provides the blueprint for their artistic output, allowing them to maintain creative control while also streamlining the creation of artworks on a larger scale.

"It's better to do something simple than to explain something complex."

This quote emphasizes the value of simplicity over complexity in communication and creation. It suggests that a clear, straightforward approach is often more effective and understandable than trying to convey intricate ideas or designs. By keeping things simple, we can avoid confusion and make our message or work easier for others to grasp. Simplicity fosters clarity and ease of understanding, making it more likely that our intended audience will comprehend our intent and purpose.

"Ideas are cheap. Ideas are obvious. What matters is the execution."

Sol LeWitt's quote emphasizes the importance of execution over idea generation in art or any creative endeavor. While ideas may be plentiful, it is the skillful implementation of those ideas that sets a work apart and gives it value. This perspective underscores the significance of technical mastery, attention to detail, and craftsmanship in the creative process.

In my case, I used the elements of these simple forms - square, cube, line and color - to produce logical systems. Most of these systems were finite; that is, they were complete using all possible variations. This kept them simple.

- Sol LeWitt

Simple, Color, Line, Finite

Conceptual art became the liberating idea that gave the art of the next 40 years its real impetus.

- Sol LeWitt

Next, Became, Impetus, Liberating

All of the significant art of today stems from Conceptual art. This includes the art of installation, political, feminist and socially directed art.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Stems, Directed, Feminist

Just as the development of earth art and installation art stemmed from the idea of taking art out of the galleries, the basis of my involvement with public art is a continuation of wall drawings.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Development, Idea, Stemmed

I was not interested in irony; I wanted to emphasize the primacy of the idea in making art.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Making, Wanted, Primacy

The system is the work of art; the visual work of art is the proof of the System. The visual aspect can't be understood without understanding the system. It isn't what it looks like but what it is that is of basic importance.

- Sol LeWitt

Work, Art, Like, Understood

A blind man can make art if what is in his mind can be passed to another mind in some tangible form.

- Sol LeWitt

Mind, Blind, Some, Blind Man

Artists of many diverse types began using simple forms to their own ends.

- Sol LeWitt

Artists, Types, Using, Forms

I became interested in making books, starting about 1965, when I did the Serial Project #1, deciding that I needed a small book to show how the work could be understood and how the system worked.

- Sol LeWitt

Small, Making, Became, Understood

Also, since art is a vehicle for the transmission of ideas through form, the reproduction of the form only reinforces the concept. It is the idea that is being reproduced. Anyone who understands the work of art owns it. We all own the Mona Lisa.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Through, Idea, Mona

When artists make art, they shouldn't question whether it is permissible to do one thing or another.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Question, Artists, Permissible

Minimalism wasn't a real idea - it ended before it started.

- Sol LeWitt

Idea, Before, Ended, Minimalism

The narrative of serial art works more like music than like literature.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Literature, Works, Serial

I didn't want to save art - I respected the older artists too much to think art needed saving. But I knew it was finished, even though, at that time, I didn't know what I would do.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Think, Though, Respected

Unless you're involved with thinking about what you're doing, you end up doing the same thing over and over, and that becomes tedious and, in the end, defeating.

- Sol LeWitt

Doing, Over, Same Thing, In The End

I believe that the artist's involvement in the capitalist structure is disadvantageous to the artist and forces him to produce objects in order to live.

- Sol LeWitt

Artist, Objects, Capitalist, Structure

The thinking of John Cage derived from Duchamp and Dada. I was not interested in that.

- Sol LeWitt

Cage, Duchamp, John, Not Interested

The other great development has been in photography, but that too was influenced by Conceptual art.

- Sol LeWitt

Development, Other, Been, Conceptual Art

The artist is seen like a producer of commodities, like a factory that turns our refrigerators.

- Sol LeWitt

Artist, Like, Factory, Producer

Minimal art went nowhere.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Nowhere, Minimal

Artists teach critics what to think. Critics repeat what the artists teach them.

- Sol LeWitt

Think, Critics, Artists, Repeat

Buying books was a way anyone could acquire a work of art for very little.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Very, Books, Acquire

During the '70s I was interested in words and meaning as a way of making art.

- Sol LeWitt

Art, Words, Making, Meaning

Every generation renews itself in its own way; there's always a reaction against whatever is standard.

- Sol LeWitt

Generation, Always, Standard, Whatever

You shouldn't be a prisoner of your own ideas.

- Sol LeWitt

Ideas, Own, Your, Prisoner

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