'Call Sol: The Enduring Legacy of Sol LeWitt'

amphora — Peter Pincus: Scratch Spin Amphora. 2020. 18" x 8" x 8" colored porcelain, gold luster. Image courtesy of Ferrin Contemporary and the artist.

An exhibition opening Aug. 23 at the Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University will examine the influence of artist Sol LeWitt on other artists working in a variety of media.

“Call Sol: The Enduring Legacy of Sol LeWitt” traces the literal and symbolic influence of this icon of American conceptual art on artists working in a wide variety of styles and materials. The exhibition focuses on 10 artists that LeWitt touched intellectually, formally or stylistically.

LeWitt, a native of Hartford who died in 2007, was a pioneer of the minimalist and conceptual arts movements. In 1968 LeWitt created the first of the wall drawings he is well known for, which helped redefine what art is, who can make it and who can own it. The wall drawings are most often executed by people other than the artist, using his directions.

“Call Sol” is a tribute to a man respected as an artist and as a colleague, friend and mentor to generations of other artists who have pursued artistic careers with the same intellectual rigor and intensity and joy that emanates from the work of art that his hand (or his instructions) produced.

The exhibition title is a nod to the iconic television series, “Better Call Saul,” both in its alliteration and, more importantly, as a marker for Lewitt’s generous spirit. It expresses respect for LeWitt’s global popularity and local impact.

The exhibition will feature a screening of “We Built This House,” a documentary film about the synagogue Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek in Chester, CT, whose architect, Steve Lloyd, collaborated with LeWitt, a lifelong member of the congregation.

The exhibition runs from Aug. 23 to Oct. 27, 2023, with an opening reception on Sept. 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Art Gallery in Eastern's Fine Arts Instructional Center. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Fridays, noon to 4 p.m.; Thursdays, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about the exhibit go to: https://www.easternct.edu/art-gallery/index.html

Categories: Art Gallery, Arts