Sol Lewitt. Artist’s Books

In 1967, Sol LeWitt enclosed to the autumn issue of the historical magazine Aspen his “Serial Project #1”, 12 pages book in the format 20×20 cm which was designed and realized during the foregoing year. The subject is represented by the succession of serial geometrical compositions; or better, the subject is made up precisely by the differences among these compositions: “ if some parts remain constant it is to punctuate the changes”.
In the 1971, the colour makes its appearance in Sol Lewitt’s artist books with “Four basic colours and their combinations”. Then, in 1977 the american artist used bw photography in “Brick wall” to catalogue many wall surfaces and, in the same year, he used colour photography in “PhotoGrids”, collection of physical grilles of the real world.

From the beginning in 1967 until 2002, Sol LeWitt’s artist books are collected in this volume. In his works the systematic rationalism, in its extreme consequences, is translated in a sort of immaterial mysticism.
Accompanied by the artist’s words, Sol LeWitt’s works in form of books create with his exhibitions relations of planning and poetic affinity, rather than formal. In other words, the book is not a mere copy of the painting, but a mirror and a different point of view from where observing the same idea.

The volume includes contributions by Giorgio Maffei, Emanuele De Donno, Didi Bozzini, Cecilia Metelli, and Marilena Bonomo; it also includes an anthology of critical texts and an essential bibliography about the american artist’s editorial work.

Sol LeWitt (Hartford, 1928 – New York, 2007) has been linked to the movement of conceptual art and minimalism, and he has particularly explored the theme of the bond between an idea and the work that it produces. In Italy he lived for a long time in Spoleto.

Giorgio Maffei and Emanuele De Donno are experts in artists’ books. With Corraini, Giorgio Maffei has already published “Looking telling thinking collecting” ( 2004, edited by Anne Moeglin-Delcroix), “The book as a work of art” (2006, with Maura Picciau), “Children’s Corner” (2007, with Valerio Dehò, Barbara Nesticò and Annie Pissard), “Arte Povera. Books and Documents” (2007), and “Munari’s Books” (2008).