Something Along Those Lines at SMFA

If you are in the vicinity of the Avenue of the Arts before the weekend, I would make it a priority to go & see the SMFA exhibition titled Something Along Those Lines. Although the exhibition is on view until November 3rd, for the first few days visitors can catch a rare glimpse of the drafting and installation process of a wall drawing by the late Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #118 from 10am - 5pm.

This particular drawing was created once before at SMFA, in 1971, when LeWitt was a visiting lecturer. The artist provides a set of diagrams for rendering the wall drawing leaving someone else to hand execute his work – true Sol LeWitt fashion! Drawn entirely by SMFA students, and overseen by a representative from the artist’s estate, you can be assured it will be an installation that you shouldn't wait another 40 years to see. Once completed, the wall will produce no shortage of great personal photographic opportunities.

While Wall Drawing #118 has served as the catalyst, this exhibition is replete with an all-star artist roster: Adel Abdessemed, Ann Carlson + Mary Ellen Strom, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Gego, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Bruce Nauman, Fred Sandback and Lawrence Weiner.

I was fortunate enough to grab a sneak peak during the early days of the install and I’m eager to view the end result. The Carlos Cruz-Diez piece, Physichromie 2385, made me want to run my fingers across it as if it were a harpsichord. I often employ this method as a barometer when viewing art; the more I want to touch it, the better it is. If you visit this afternoon, look for me – I’ll be the one with my hands in my pockets.