Sol LeWitt’s embossed multiples transform paper into sculptural terrain through printing techniques that physically raise geometric forms you can almost feel, emphasizing the tangibility of perception itself. Working with master printers in the 1970s and 80s, LeWitt used heavy pressure to press shapes—squares, grids, pyramids—into handmade paper, producing reliefs that shift with changing light and viewing angles, making each encounter with the work slightly different. These pieces exemplify LeWitt’s conceptual approach, where the idea or system precedes execution: he provided instructions that printers followed, democratizing art-making and questioning assumptions about authorship and originality. As LeWitt famously stated, “The idea becomes a machine that makes the art,” a philosophy clearly embodied in these multiples where variations of color and motif generate unexpected visual richness. The embossing invites you to move closer, to notice how shadows collect in recessed areas and how paper fibers catch light differently across the surface—a testament to LeWitt’s belief that rigorous systems can produce works that reveal new possibilities within apparent simplicity.

1996
Embossed multiples
9" h x 45" w

Artwork donated by Burt & Jane Berman