Sol LeWitt Sculpture Needs Rebuild After Unannounced Removal

LeWitt was an American artist most known for his sculptures and wall drawings, credited as one of the founders of minimalism and conceptual art. Lines in Four Directions speaks to the artist’s use of seemingly basic, yet meticulously arranged, geometric shapes as the rectangular aluminum slab is divided into four equal parts, each one comprising either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal painted lines. 

It was erected in 1985, and the GSA purchased the six-story building in 2000, announcing the sculpture as a “gift to the public," since it faces a public plaza. The artwork was funded by both the National Endowment for the Arts and by donations from the Art in Public Places program, collecting over $50,000.

Unfortunately for the public, those funds are now lacking. A spokesperson for the GSA explained the reasoning behind the sculpture’s removal was water infiltration. Lines in Four Directions was temporarily put into storage back in March, and repairs to the building’s physical wall have since begun. To conduct the reconstruction, McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory has been hired by the agency, even with no budget at play. 

The GSA has claimed they are working with LeWitt’s estate to acquire the funds. However, the artist’s wife– Carol A. LeWitt– reported that she has not heard from the agency in years. She shared, “I own the intellectual copyright. So, I have a vested interest. One of the things that Sol did, which was unusual, is he kept the copyright to all of his work. He learned the importance of that as a graphic designer. So even when he sold something, the copyright never transferred. It was about being able to control.”

Despite the fact that Carol holds the rights to the sculpture, she was never alerted of its removal, nor of this rebuild. As the GSA awaits approval and funding, Carol and the rest of Chicago have no choice but to sit back and wait patiently for the verdict of Lines in Four Directions’ potential return.