The Albright-Knox’s latest special exhibition, Drawing: The Beginning of Everything, celebrates contemporary artists’ diverse approaches to the medium. Here on the blog, we’re taking a closer look at several artists featured in the exhibition.

In 1967, Fred Sandback created a groundbreaking composition by outlining a twelve-foot-long two-by-four plank using only string and wire. In later works, Sandback used yarn instead 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 us to perceive the simplicity of the form in its entirety. 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.”