Converging Lines: Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt at The Cleveland Museum of Art, April 3 – July 31, 2016

Converging Lines: Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt explores the close friendship between two significant American artists of the postwar era: Eva Hesse (1936–1970) and Sol LeWitt (1928–2007). While their practices diverged in numerous ways, this exhibition illuminates the crucial impact of their friendship on both their art and their lives, featuring 50 works, including many that have not been publicly exhibited for decades.

Hesse and LeWitt first met in New York in the late 1950s. They and other artists, including Robert Mangold, Sylvia Plimack Mangold and Robert Ryman, as well as the art critic Lucy Lippard, all lived near each other on the Bowery in New York City and supported one another in various and significant ways. Despite the differences between their artistic processes, Hesse and LeWitt developed a close bond, evident in the extensive correspondence that ensued over the course of their friendship, which lasted more than a decade.” — The Cleveland Museum of Art

1962_LeWitt_RunI_HighRes

Run I, 1962. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Oil on canvas and wood; 63 1/2 x 63 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. LeWitt Collection, Courtesy Pace Gallery, New York. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

1963_Hesse_LC

No title, 1963. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Ink, watercolor, pencil, and crayon on paper; 22 3/8 x 28 1/2 in. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.

1965_LeWitt_3x3x3_View3_LC

3 x 3 x 3, 1965. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Painted wood; 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

1965_LeWitt_Letter to Eva_Pg1

Sol LeWitt Letter to Eva Hesse, April 14, 1965. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Ink on paper, 5 pages. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

1968_Hesse_AccessionV_View7_LC

Accession V, 1968. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Galvanized steel and rubber; 10 x 10 x 10 in. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.

1968_Hesse_Untitled_PrivateCollection

Untitled, 1968. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Gouache, watercolor, silver paint, and pencil on paper; 22 1/8 x 15 1/4 in. Private collection. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.

1969_Hesse_Gund

No title, 1969. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Gouache, watercolor, silver, and bronze paint on paper; 21 3/4 x 17 1/4 in. Agnes Gund Collection, New York. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.

1970_LEWITT_WD46_HIGH RES

Wall Drawing #46: Vertical lines, not straight, not touching, uniformly dispersed with density covering the entire surface of the wall (detail), 1970. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Pencil on wall; 

dimensions variable. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2016 The LeWitt 

Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

1976_15 Postcards to Lucy Lippard_8x10

15 Postcards to Lucy Lippard, 1976. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Fifteen postcards with color inks mounted on board; 26 1/2 x 13 3/4 in. Addison Gallery of American Art, Gift of Lucy Lippard (AA 1954), Addison Art Drive, 1991.80. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

 Sol LeWitt (B. 1928, Hartford Connecticut) Wall Drawing 797, October 1995 The first drafter has a black marker and makes an irregular horizontal line near the top of the wall. Then the second drafter tries to copy it (without touching it) using a red marker. The third drafter does the same, using a yellow marker. The fourth drafter does the same, using a blue marker. Then the second drafter, followed by the third and fourth, copies the last line drawn until the bottom of the wall is reached. Black, red, yellow, blue marker   On display in the exhibition Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective

Wall Drawing #797 (detail), 1995. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Black, red, yellow, and blue marker on wall; dimensions variable. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Organized by the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. Images courtesy The Cleveland Museum of Art.