Modular Cubes

“Modular open Cube Pieces (9 x 9 x 9) Floor-Corner 2” is a piece on display at the DIA by American artist Sol LeWitt. Created in 1976 the painted wooden structure has the appearance of being formed out of stacked cubes, creating a larger, more complex but incomplete cube. Overall I’d say the dimensions are roughly four to five feet in every direction. 

The surface of the sculpture is painted in a matte white, drenching the entire sculpture. The light bounces off the surface creating interesting geometric shadows, becoming more and more complex with each subsequent level of cubes. The piece is tucked into a corner of the gallery space almost making a ramp or staircase up to the wall.

The first thing that pops into my head when I see the sculpture is fog. The deeper you look into the piece the more and more complex visually it becomes. You see layers upon layers of intersecting lines, shadows cast. Eventually you can’t see through the box at all except from specific vantage points. This reminds me of walking through fog because the density prevents you from seeing as far as you’d like. You can see through the close cubes but the farther you try to see the more you are obstructed.

I am also reminded of molecules when I look at the sculpture. While the square segments may not mimic any real molecular formations the way in which they are collected and perfectly ordered makes me think of molecules bonding. “Building blocks” so to speak, creating an ever more complex structure. This is reenforced by its color (or lack thereof), giving the appearance that maybe you are looking at a magnified grain of salt. This adds an austere, analytical feeling to the piece. In a way I wish that the piece was pulled away from the wall, allowing a full 360 degree view. While the piece may have been designed to be viewed from its current vantage point, I think that a full, all around view would give it a greater sense of space.

On the wall next to the piece there is a passage that says something to the effect that this art is exactly what it portrays itself to be, the idea that there does not need to be a deeper inner meaning. I think this is true of this piece, while you can argue all day what you think it means, really you are just grasping at straws. There is nothing about the piece that says it has inner meaning and there is nothing that says it has to. It is art for the sake of art. For me personally I think that a lot can be learned from that. The idea that the aesthetics can be just as important as function if done correctly is important

“Modular Open Cube Pieces” almost melds into the architecture of the room in which it resides. Because of its geometric form it feels more like a structure than a piece of art. I think this works well though, as stated earlier it is art for art’s sake, not muddled by preconceptions of what art should be or weighed down by lofty meaning. It can be enjoyed by everyone. In some regards recently art has gone back to requiring the viewer to be versed in the art world to understand it, and this can alienate a lot of people. This piece can be enjoyed by everyone.