Artist Obituaries | Signatures: Sol LeWitt, 2007
2016
Neon Light
24 x 23 cm
Photograph courtesy of Colin Davison
Jex’s interest in Appropriation Art, Monochrome Art and Conceptual Art continues with his Artist Obituary Signature series in which Jex looks into how artists record ownership and authenticity. Jex challenges the artists signature of legitimacy which is used to validate and value art. He recalls a trip to the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh in 1999 with his art class in which a curator spoke to the group about a Vincent van Gogh painting, yet previously that week there was an article on the news in which van Gogh’s Sunflowers, 1888, National Gallery, London had no signature on the painting and therefore could very likely not be by the artist. Jex asked if this could be the case and the legitimacy of a work of art without the artist signature.
Choosing LeWitt’s signature, Jex is questioning the truthfulness of the artist, and in particular after their death, and with LeWitt’s conceptual method of supplying instructions for people to make his wall drawings from a script is underscored after the artists death.
The white light of the neon refers to Conceptual Arts approach to minimalism and with LeWitt’s often use of white in his work along with the idea that death is presented by a glowing white light.
Choosing LeWitt’s signature, Jex is questioning the truthfulness of the artist, and in particular after their death, and with LeWitt’s conceptual method of supplying instructions for people to make his wall drawings from a script is underscored after the artists death.
The white light of the neon refers to Conceptual Arts approach to minimalism and with LeWitt’s often use of white in his work along with the idea that death is presented by a glowing white light.