Sol LeWitt: Artist’s Books

Whether it's a sculpture, a painting or a drawing, Sol LeWitt's work is almost always instantly recognizable for its rigorous lines, modular perspective and strict geometric shapes. No surprises really, given that one of the first jobs he had was as a graphic designer in IM Pei's office.
During his lifetime, LeWitt was extraordinarily prolific, producing thousands of prints, wall drawings and paintings. Many made their way into his books, each of which dealt with a particular discipline - arcs and lines in one, grids in another, and geometric figures in yet another.
'Sol LeWitt: Artist's Books' is a touring exhibition of over 80 of LeWitt's books, dating from 1967 to 2002, a few years before his death. Individually, each book is already an important record and reference source; but taken collectively, they form an indispensable snapshot of an incredibly restless mind.
Says exhibition co-curator, Giorgio Maffei: 'For an artist, the book is sometimes a secondary medium - a sort of preparatory exercise to explore more complex and challenging ideas, or simply a means to reflect on work in progress. For Sol LeWitt, the book is much more than this. It is the key to understanding his entire development; each successive book marks a phase in his artistic life, explaining the methods and meanings of his art.'
To complement the exhibition, experimental pianist Philip Thomas has curated a programme of specially commissioned pieces by musicians like Peter Ablinger and John White.
Following stop-overs in Bologna, Istanbul and Paris, the exhibition is in Sheffield from 8th to 29th May, after which it heads to Ljubljana.
'Incomplete Open Cubes' by Sol LeWitt, 1974. Image courtesy of ViaIndustriae
'Photogrids' by Sol LeWitt, 1977. Image courtesy of ViaIndustriae
A selection of Sol LeWitt’s artist’s books. Photography by David Bellingham
'Autobiography' by Sol LeWitt, 1980. Image courtesy of ViaIndustriae
'Photogrids' by Sol LeWitt, 1977. Image courtesy of ViaIndustriae
'Five Cubes on Twenty-Five Squares' by Sol LeWitt, 1978. Image courtesy of ViaIndustriae
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Site Gallery
1 Brown Street
Sheffield S1 2BS
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 shows
The Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to know
Designing the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spot
Heritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
Taschen’s sexy record covers are hitting all the right notes
Taschen has been through 50 years of album art for its latest tome, ‘Sexy Record Covers’
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
-
Daniel Arsham’s new monograph collates the works of the auto-obsessed American artist
‘Arsham Motorsport’ is two volumes of inspiration, process and work, charting artist Daniel Arsham’s oeuvre inspired by the icons and forms of the automotive industry
-
Era-defining photographer David Bailey guides us through the 1980s in a new tome not short of shoulder pads and lycra
From Yves Saint Laurent to Princess Diana, London photographer David Bailey dives into his 1980s archive in a new book by Taschen
-
Inside Joan Didion’s unseen diary of personal relationships and post-therapy notes
A newly discovered diary by Joan Didion is soon to be published. Titled 'Notes to John', the journal documents her relationship with her daughter, husband, alcoholism, and depression
-
Carsten Höller’s new Book of Games: 336 playful pastimes for the bold and the bored
Artist Carsten Höller invites readers to step out of their comfort zone with a series of subversive games
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TV
Stefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
-
How a sprawling new book honours the legacy of cult photographer Larry Fink
‘Larry Fink: Hands On / A Passionate Life of Looking’ pays homage to an American master. ‘He had this ability to connect,’ says publisher Daniel Power