Sol LeWitt (American, 1928 – 2007)

"Wavy Brushstrokes Superimposed #2", 1995. Etching with hand-drawn photo transfer and aquatint on Rives BFK paper, signed and numbered 23/35 in pencil lower right, floated in a black frame, overall 40" x 40".

Wavy Brushstrokes Superimposed #2 is part of a set of four serial images based on an idea with permutations determined by rules the artist contrived. LeWitt began with a drawing of wavy brushstrokes, which was then photographically transferred to several metal plates and printed as an aquatint. By varying the colors and the order in which the successive plates were printed, the images vary from one to the next while sharing a single basic format. The successive printing of plates allowed for multiple variations on a single image. The sumptuous surface, curvilinear design, and layered colors of these prints show the artist pushing beyond the geometric forms and straight lines for which his work is best known.
The series Wavy Brushstrokes is notable for its curvilinear movement and free-form strokes. In contrast to the geometric forms and monochromatic tones that characterized much of his earlier work, LeWitt explored brilliant color combinations in his wall drawings and prints toward the end of his career. For this sequence of images, LeWitt began with a matrix of gestural lines printed sequentially. In the second, third, and fourth images of the set, he used the identical matrix of lines, but printed different colors in a different order, resulting in transparent overlays and evocative combinations.

Condition: Good condition; verso of the paper not examined out of the frame.