123/ Six Three-Part Variations Using Each Kind of Cube Once 1968

Sol LeWitt made "123/ Six Three-Part Variations Using Each Kind of Cube Once" as a drawing of pen and ink on paper. This deceptively simple image challenges the very idea of artistic originality and the role of the artist. Created in the conceptual art world of 1960s America, LeWitt's work aimed to strip away the aura of uniqueness surrounding the art object. The image presents a series of cubic variations based on a pre-determined system and mathematical principle. LeWitt reduces art to an intellectual exercise, emphasizing the idea over the execution. By presenting a clear set of instructions and a logical system, he questions the need for the artist's hand, challenging the art world's focus on the artist's individual genius. LeWitt encouraged others to recreate his works, further undermining the notion of the artist as a singular, creative force. Understanding LeWitt's work requires examining the prevailing art institutions and the counter-cultural movements of his time. Art historical resources such as manifestos from the period as well as gallery and museum records would further contextualize LeWitt's systematic approach to art making.