Wall Drawing 519

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Wall Drawing 519
Wall Drawing 519
Saralyn Reece Hardy, curator
May 16, 2016–May 16, 2021
Capitol Federal Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

“The idea or the concept is the most important aspect of the work.”
-Sol LeWitt, Paragraphs on Conceptual Art, 1967
Wall Drawing 519 covers the 80-by-11-foot back wall of Gallery 316. The installation is a lively example of Sol LeWitt’s many large-scale wall drawings that use simple lines and geometric designs. LeWitt, a leading figure in Minimalist and Conceptual art, emphasized concept over material presence in his artwork. Each wall drawing begins with a set of instructions or a diagram that is then executed by an installation team directly on the wall. LeWitt’s wall drawings have an unlimited lifespan and can be recreated in different locations. Wall Drawing 519, which was first installed in 1987, includes a red square on a yellow wall, a blue circle on a red wall, and a yellow triangle on a blue wall.

This wall drawing was installed by a team of four, including Spencer exhibition design staff and a representative from the LeWitt Estate, during a period of two weeks.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Sol LeWitt (1928–2007), Wall Drawing 519
first drawn at Pitney Bowes in 1987; first drawn at the Spencer Museum in 2014