02.14.18

Excerpt: Exhibition

In a New Exhibition in Oslo, Eva LeWitt (Yep, That’s Sol’s Daughter) Comes Into Her Own

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It can be difficult to approach the work of New York artist Eva LeWitt and not immediately attempt to place it in context with the work of her father, the late, great conceptual artist Sol LeWitt. So it makes sense that LeWitt, for her new exhibition at VI, VII Gallery in Oslo, might try to escape comparison entirely by using materials in such an opaque way that they reframe your initial appraisal of the work — you first must understand what exactly it is you’re looking at. In photos, LeWitt’s work can look almost textile in nature, but my first thought upon seeing these exhibition photos was that the pieces looked like industrial pool curtains weighted by rolls of crepe paper. In fact, each sculpture is made from polyurethane foam, latex, and plastic, so I wasn’t too far off.

“My inspiration always comes from the materials themselves,” LeWitt told Artsy in an interview a few years back. “I have often gravitated towards soft, synthetic, colorful materials; plastic bags, sponges, yarn, tape, etc. I struggled for a time using traditional sculptural materials such as plywood, steel, fiberglass. But these materials hurt me—literally and figuratively. I prefer to work in complete solitude, and I physically could not manage these materials alone. I could not dominate them or manipulate them the ways I wanted to. That is why I choose soft, tactile, materials. I want to be able to control and transform the materials.” The exhibition is on view until April 9.
VI, VII_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_2 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_1 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Exhibition view_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_9 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge

VI, VII_Exhibition view_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_11 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tungeopener VI, VII_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_4 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_5 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Exhibition view_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_13 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_10_Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_13 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Exhibition view_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_12 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge VI, VII_Exhibition view_Eva LeWitt at VI, VII_14 Courtesy of VI, VII, Oslo_Photography by Christian Tunge

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