Maquette for One, Two, Three

Media - 1979.159.44 - SAAM-1979.159.44_1 - 56988
Copied Sol LeWitt, Maquette for One, Two, Three, 1979, assembled and painted balsa wood, 11 5822 3411 58 in. (29.457.929.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1979.159.44, © 2019 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Artwork Details

Title
Maquette for One, Two, Three
Artist
Date
1979
Dimensions
11 5822 3411 58 in. (29.457.929.5 cm)
Copyright
© 2019 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Credit Line
Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program
Mediums
Mediums Description
assembled and painted balsa wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract — geometric
  • Study — sculpture model
  • General Services Administration — Art-in-Architecture Program
Object Number
1979.159.44

Artwork Description

Sol LeWitt created the sculpture One, Two, Three as a commission for the General Services Administration. In 1962 a government committee determined that fine art should be incorporated in the designs of new federal buildings, to enrich the surrounding communities. This initiative became the Art-in-Architecture Program, and LeWitt was chosen to design a sculpture for the plaza of the James M. Hanley Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Syracuse, New York. LeWitt presented this maquette of his proposed sculpture to the GSA's Design Review Panel in 1979. The final piece was constructed from painted aluminum and is twenty-nine feet long.

Exhibitions

Media - 1979.159.44 - SAAM-1979.159.44_1 - 56988
Sculpture Down to Scale: Models for Public Art at Federal Buildings, 1974 – 1985
May 31, 2019November 22, 2020
Artists used preliminary models—or maquettes—to communicate their ideas.