A new dawn comes every day. Or so we are to believe. For those of us close to Sol LeWitt, April 8, 2007 seemed like perhaps the last day with a dawn. Sol was a man, beyond his artistic renown, who gave, thought, read, shared and imbued much. For his peers, he was part out-sider and part ringleader. For his family, he was a steady foundation. For those younger than him, he was an inspiration, a support, a mystery, a model and so much more. Of course, with Sol’s passing, dawns continue to come and go, no matter how hard it was to believe. With these new dawns, is an opportunity for a new or re-evaluation and appreciation of Sol’s work. As a quiet, reticent man, a towering figure in art history, a reader always with a book and a shy man in the corner, his identity has been at once wrapped up in readings of his work and yet, understandably, kept rather separate. Four-plus years after Sol’s passing, there is, what he would truly appreciate, an opportunity for new eyes, new words, new ideas about his work. This can only happen, though, if there are new views, open information and boundless opportunities. Hopefully, this massive catalogue raisonne will help usher that in.
With almost 350 distinct entries and projects, from 1947 to 2006, as well as numerous (and assumably more to be added as they are uncovered) uneditioned projects, this archive contains over 2,500 images. There is a depth, breadth and obvious wealth of information to view, appreciate and parse out unlike any other’s works. We finally have the opportunity to look upon the entirety of Sol’s print output. Barbara Krakow Gallery, Boston, is honored to have spent 7 years putting this together, and, as Sol would appreciate, we look forward to continually updating and adding to this archive.
As for practicalities, the site can be used in a number of ways. One can simply browse chronologically or one can refine that browsing through the search fields which provide for both specific and general ways of finding what one is looking for. As this sort of catalogue raisonné is a relatively new form, we are open to any and all comments, suggestions, corrections and ideas.
________________
The Sol LeWitt Prints Catalogue Raisonné was conceived by Barbara Krakow.
All funding, website design and administering were sponsored by Barbara Krakow Gallery.
Andrew Witkin serves as editor.
Photography was done almost completely in-house by Ryan Cross & Jeremy McDonnell.
Registrarial work was done by Skyela Heitz with the assistance of Benjamin Chaffee.
All photography was edited by Ryan Cross, Terrence Gaide, Skyela Heitz & Jeremy McDonnell with much appreciated additions supplied by publishers including Crown Point Press, Edition Domberger, Edition Schellmann, Pace Prints, Parasol Press, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Two Palms Press & Works on Paper, along with the Achenbach Graphic Arts Council.
Jo Watanabe was involved with Sol on over half of the projects and so, without even discussing the skill, keen eye and dedication with which Jo worked with Sol, he was invaluable in solving mysteries heretofore unacknowledged and/or unknown. His enthusiasm and patience are a blessing to those doing research.
Janet Passehl, curator of The LeWitt Collection, has been patient, supportive and investigative in every way asked, and more.
Susanna Singer worked with Sol from the mid-70s on and it was her early support and information that helped give birth to this project.
Sofia LeWitt has been supportive, informative and inquisitive in every way the project has needed and without hers and Carol LeWitt’s enthusiasm and blessing this project could never have happened. To them and Eva LeWitt, we are eternally grateful.
In addition, the project could not have been completed without the help of Brooke Alexander, Barbara Baruch, Kathan Brown, Sasha Baguskas, John Campione, Lara Cocken, Bob Feldman, Marian Goodman, Sue Grinols, David & Evie Lasry, Jacob Lewis, Michael LeWitt, Andrew Richards, Joerg Schellmann, Benjamin Shiff, Dick Solomon, Diane Tillim, Valerie Wade & and the myriad people who fielded our calls, dug in their archives and helped fill in the missing pieces.
More to come.