Nibor takes her turn at Sol LeWitt's "Wall Drawing 797." Photo by Mista Oh!
“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”
So read the instructions for Sol LeWitt’s Drawing 797– which was first realized by students at Amherst College in 1995, is included in the artist’s massive drawing retrospective at MASS MoCA, and recently appeared at the benefit for the Public Art Fund.
Having written lately on the conceptual-art pioneer’s radiant geometry (from a Jewish angle!), I was thrilled to participate in this brief incarnation of the participatory “copy-line” drawing–though I found it a challenge to comply with the instructions. But that’s all part of the process.
