Wavy Brushstrokes 1996

Sol LeWitt made these ‘Wavy Brushstrokes’ with ink and graphite on paper. Just imagine him, or someone directed by him, patiently drawing each line! I wonder, what was it like to get into the mindset of making this drawing? To set aside expressionism and emotion and just methodically, laboriously, create a system and follow it? The texture comes from the sheer number of lines, a kind of optical vibration. The brushstrokes lean into each other like they’re telling secrets. The colors – blues, yellows, oranges, whites, and blacks – create an intricate pattern, a kind of controlled chaos. I think of Agnes Martin, or maybe some of the Op artists like Bridget Riley, artists who explore perception and push the boundaries of what drawing and painting can be. It is about mark making, and rhythm, and movement. Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art is a conversation, an exchange of ideas across time, and that each artist builds upon the work of those who came before, inspiring new forms of creativity.