Artist was master of minimal, conceptual styles

SOL LEWITT 1928-2007

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Sol LeWitt, an artist known for his dynamicwall paintings and as a founder of minimal and conceptual artstyles, died Sunday in New York, according to published reports.

The 78-year-old artist, who was born in Hartford and lived forthe past two decades in Chester, Conn., died from complications fromcancer, the New York Times and the Hartford Courant reported Monday.

Much of his art was based on variations of spheres, triangles andother basic geometric shapes. His sculptures commonly were based oncubes using precise, measured formats and carefully developedvariations.

Mr. LeWitt preferred to let his work speak for itself andfrequently avoided media attention.

"He never felt that art has to do with the personality of theperson who made it," Andrea Miller-Keller, a former Hartford curatorand longtime friend, told the Courant. "It's not about the starpower but about the art."

By the mid-1960s, Mr. LeWitt had begun to experiment with walldrawings. The idea was considered radical, in part because he knewthey would eventually be painted over and destroyed.

Mr. LeWitt's first wall drawing, part of a 1968 display in NewYork, was so striking that the gallery owner couldn't bear to paintover it. She insisted Mr.

LeWitt come and do it himself, which he did.

Mr. LeWitt, born in Hartford, was in the Army for two yearsduring the Korean War, serving in non-combat positions inCalifornia, Japan and Korea.

In 1953 he moved to New York and held a variety of short-termjobs, including working as a night receptionist at the Museum ofModern Art. His first solo art show was at the John Daniels Galleryin New York in 1965, and he taught at several New York art schools.

He is survived by a wife, Carol, and two daughters.