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During my Master’s program, I interned at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and fell in love with the 25-year retrospective of Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings. I’ve always been intrigued by the work of the “Father of Conceptual Art,” but to experience it first hand was something else entirely. The unapologetic use of color, the simple shapes turned into awe-inspiring murals, the obsessive repetition of form. All of these qualities drew me in, and I’ve been dreaming of a home filled with blank walls to replicate some of LeWitt’s instructions ever since this first encounter.

LeWitt’s practice is grounded in the idea, rather than the tangible art object. He said, Since art is a vehicle for the transmission of ideas through form, the reproduction of the form only reinforces the concept. It is the idea that is being reproduced. Anyone who understands the work of art owns it. We all own the Mona Lisa.

And with that statement in mind, James and I took the plunge this week and recreated Wall Drawing 51 and Wall Drawing 86 on two boring white walls that were screaming for a make-over. The landlord inflicted some strict guidelines pertaining to home redecoration, but it was hard for her to argue with chalk that can be wiped away with a wet rag, and graphite pencil than can be erased easily. And best of all, these materials were readily available and inexpensive. Why not give it a try in your home?

Photos: Courtesy of Ashley Weeks Cart