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Collection

An image of Incomplete open cube 7/21 by Sol LeWitt

Sol LeWitt

(United States of America 09 Sep 1928–08 Apr 2007)

Title
Incomplete open cube 7/21
Year
1974
Media category
Sculpture
Materials used
baked enamel on aluminium
Dimensions

106.7 x 106.7 x 106.7cm

Signature & date
Signed Certificate of authenticity, black felt tip pen "Sol LeWitt".
Credit
Gift of the John Kaldor Family Collection 2011. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
Accession number
349.2011
Copyright
© Estate of Sol LeWitt. ARS/Licensed by Viscopy
Location
Contemporary galleries
Further information

The ‘Incomplete open cubes’ are a sequence of open-sided cube structures, each missing between one and nine of their sides. At once repetitive and varied, this series lays out 122 possible variations on the concept. The ‘Incomplete open cubes’ exemplify LeWitt’s conceptual practice and have been widely interpreted as embodying systematic rationality; they are based on an arithmetic concept which they then take to its logical extreme. While they are internally consistent, they also manifest an irrational, obsessive quality reflected in LeWitt’s own comment that ‘irrational thoughts should be followed absolutely and logically’. Here he presents a binary between the rational and the irrational.

Bibliography (4)

Nicholas Baume and Museum of Contemporary Art, From Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Jeff Koons: John Kaldor Art Projects and Collection 1995, 1995, 36 (illus.), 84.

Anthony Bond, John Kaldor Family Collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Sol LeWitt', pg.100-131, Sydney, 2011, 102, 110-11 (colour illus.).

Adam Free, Journey to now: John Kaldor art projects and collection 2003, Adelaide, 2003, 7 (colour illus.), 61. illustration is an installation view

John Weber Gallery, Sol LeWitt: Incomplete open cubes 1974, AUT, 1974, (illus.).

Exhibition history (4)

Sol LeWitt: Incomplete open cubes, John Weber Gallery, New York, 1974–1974

Opening transformations, Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia, Oct 1991–Feb 1992

From Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Jeff Koons: John Kaldor Art Projects and Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia, 12 Dec 1995–17 Mar 1996

Journey to Now: John Kaldor Art Projects and Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 18 Apr 2003–06 Jul 2003