Fred Sandback’s installations simultaneously transform and are transformed by the areas they inhabit; the height of the ceiling and the size and color of the room greatly contribute to each work’s overall effect. In 1967, Sandback created a groundbreaking composition by simply using string and wire to outline the shape of a twelve-foot-long two-by-four plank on the floor. Shortly thereafter, he decided that he preferred to use yarn because it creates a softer line and absorbs light. Lacking the mass or weight typically associated with sculpture, each of Sandback’s “drawings in space” invites the viewer to perceive the simplicity of the form in its entirety. The experience of seeing Untitled (Sculptural Study, Four-part Vertical Construction) may evoke the feeling of passage or doorways. This impression of open space reflects Sandback’s desire to make works of art that do not have an inside. He has said, “My work is full of illusions, but they don’t refer to anything.”

Label from Drawing: The Beginning of Everything, July 8–October 15, 2017