LeWitt was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and studied at Syracuse University from 1945-9. In the early 1960s he began to experiment with abstract sculptures in painted wood and to explore the possibilities of using a cube motif. He has stated: “The most interesting characteristic of the cube is that it is relatively uninteresting...Therefore it is the best form to use as a basic unit for any more elaborate function, the grammatical device from which the work may proceed”. This emphasis on mental strategies makes him a forerunner of Conceptual Art. He is also closely associated with Minimalism.
An art movement of the 1960s onwards, primarily in sculpture. It was in part a reaction against the flamboyance of Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. It is characterised by a lack of expressiveness and the use of simple forms, often in repetition.