(Video link here.) While we’re taking a week off to rest and regroup, we thought we’d leave you with this time-lapse of a Sol LeWitt wall drawing being created, per the late artist’s instruction, at Blanton Museum of Art. It embodies the combo platter that is Improvised Life: an artist’s idea that is possible to apply at home, in the everyday, and that provides inspiration….”start with one black line“.

Helen Harrison
Helen Harrison

Here is LeWitt’s deceptively simple instruction, which we just might try one day, or something like it (We’ve bookmarked other Wall Drawings for possible use on our own wall):

The first drafter has a black marker and makes an irregular horizontal line near the top of the wall. Then the second drafter tries to copy it (without touching it) using a red marker. The third drafter does the same, using a yellow marker. The fourth drafter does the same using a blue marker. Then the second drafter followed by the third and fourth copies the last line drawn until the bottom of the wall is reached.

Blanton Museum of Art
Blanton Museum of Art

Artist David Buckley Borden interpreted Wall Drawing #797 this way for his music room

David Buckley Borden
David Buckley Borden

Both look curiously like an offset map…

New England Offset Map #map # cartography #newengland #offset #landarch #landscape #landscapearchitecture

A photo posted by David Buckley Borden (@davidbuckleyborden) on

via The Kids Should See This

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One thought on “LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #797: Conceptual + Practical = Wonderful

  1. Enjoy your break.
    I will miss my daily inspiration from you.
    Come back refreshed…what you do is greatly valued.

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