SPHERES OF INFLUENCE 1990

Editor: This is Lawrence Weiner's "SPHERES OF INFLUENCE," from the Tate collection. It's a drawing, seemingly a study, with overlapping shapes and text. What's your take on this seemingly simple sketch? Curator: The simplicity is deceptive. Weiner's focus is on the production of meaning, not the production of an object. The text and drawn forms are instructions, proposing a situation. How does the materiality of the paper and ink impact our understanding? Editor: So, it's less about the drawing itself and more about the idea it represents, and about the chosen media to display the idea? Curator: Precisely. Consider the labor involved, or perhaps, the lack thereof. It challenges the traditional notion of artistic skill, shifting the focus to conceptual creation and dissemination. It makes you think about what is the least amount of effort required to convey something? Editor: I never thought about a drawing this way before. Thank you!