Wall drawings were LeWitt’s lifelong projects, which he first installed at the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York in 1968. Ultimately, he produced over 1,300 pieces of such interpretative walls. Many were executed by other people based on his direction. The approach rejected the conventional recognition given to the artist’s “own hand.” Every product corresponds to the interpretations of the collaborators, brushing aside the basis of authorship and permanence. He further stated, “Ideas cannot be owned. They belong to whoever understands them.”

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #283 The location of a blue circle, a red straight line and a yellow straight line, first installation 1976. Installation view at Yale University Art Gallery West Campus Collections Center, West Haven, Connecticut, 2017. © 2025 The LeWitt Estate/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery

“Wall Drawing #283 The location of a blue circle, a red straight line and a yellow straight line” (first installation, 1976) is one of the artist’s signature works. The fundamental shapes — a circle and two straight lines in primary colors were arranged according to specific instructions. They can be altered based on the architectural space and the draftsman’s preference; thus, demonstrating unpredictability.

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #312 Two-part drawing on a black wall. First part: Square, circle, triangle, superimposed (outlines). Second part: Rectangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, superimposed (outlines), First installation in June 1978, Current installation in December 2025 by Andrew Colbert, Yuki Fujita, Haruko Kasai, Takafumi Kijima, Gaku Okahara, Shingo Tameso. Installation view of the exhibition “Sol LeWitt: Open Structure” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2025. © 2025 The LeWitt Estate/Artists Rights Society (ARS). Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery, New York. Photo: Alma Reyes

Similarly, “Wall Drawing #312 Two-part drawing on a black wall. First part: Square, circle, triangle, superimposed (outlines). Second part: Rectangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, superimposed (outlines)” (first installation, 1978) positions diverse shapes on a black wall using a white crayon. The left diagram shows the principal square, circle, and triangle. The right diagram expands into secondary shapes — a trapezoid, rectangle, and parallelogram. Superimposing them on each other results to many possible line combinations, again, inducing the idea of flexibility and objectivity. At first glance, these minimalistic walls appear ordinary and unintellectual. However, with intense scrutiny, one grasps the groundwork based on order, principle, and experimentation.

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #1164 Drawing Series I 2 (A & B), conception: 1969, first installation: 2005. Installation view at Gladstone, Brussels, 2010. © 2025 The LeWitt Estate/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery

In the pair of two wall drawings, “Wall Drawing #1164 Drawing Series I 2 (A & B)” (conception: 1969, first installation: 2005), LeWitt configured four rows and columns of squares in dark and light shades plotted in simple algorithms. Their order changes from one section to the next in a clockwise motion, achieving a range of hues and tones.