Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)

“The idea part is simple but the visual perception is complex.” (Sol LeWitt)

Sol Lewitt hand-worked the large-scale copper plates for his 1973 seven-part etching project, “Straight, Not-Straight and Broken Lines in All Horizontal Combinations (Three Kinds of Lines & All Their Combinations)”. While there are seven pieces of paper, only three plates were needed. On one plate, he drew straight horizontal lines, on the second, not-straight lines, and on the third, dashes (broken lines). To make all combinations of these three types of lines (single types, combos of two types, and one with all three types), seven sheets of paper were needed. When hung in a line, the seven elements are discrete, interchangeable, personal, and universal. The density of lines on the paper increases as more types of lines are printed/combined and yet no one sheet or type of line calls out for more attention than another. LeWitt’s line quality is anonymous to many and yet entirely particular to others. All of these combinations, juxtapositions, contradictions, surprises, variations, etc., point towards a central tenet of LeWitt’s work: informed equality.

“One should be intelligent enough to know when not to be too intellectual” (Sol LeWitt)