Behold, a spectacle of color awaits us here at MIT’s Green Center. This is Sol LeWitt’s Bars of Color within Squares. It’s more than just a floor. It’s an experience.
Completed in 2007, Bars of Color within Squares is a permanent installation. You will find it in the Green Center. The center is part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This U-shaped terrazzo floor covers 5,500 square feet.
Finding this vibrant artwork can be an adventure. The atrium door is tucked away. It’s along the Infinite Corridor of MIT’s Physics Department. Look for a chalkboard. Mystic symbols adorn it. If you see vibrant colors peeking through a window, you’re on the right track.
Sol LeWitt championed conceptual art. He emphasized the idea over aesthetics. His work invites you to experience, not just observe. The floor consists of 15 different arrangements. Each has vibrant squares. Epoxy and glass beads construct the surface. This differs from traditional terrazzo. Traditional terrazzo uses gravel, cement, and marble chips. LeWitt broke away from convention. He used unconventional materials. These included wood, cinder blocks, and metal.
Gray and white lines define each square. They create steppingstones. These steppingstones are arranged with linear precision. It is like rocks in a colorful Zen garden.
At first glance, the floor may seem simple. Some might even find it unimpressive. It may strike you as something from a kindergarten classroom. But there’s more than meets the eye.
The surrounding atrium enhances the experience. It evokes a high-tech metropolis. Electric cables and lab equipment peek through the glass. The central structure resembles an energy source. Passageways lead in and out. It feels like a sci-fi movie.
Payette Associates of Boston designed the architecture. They created a building within a building. The space is calm and serene. Soft light streams through glass windows. It’s an escape from the outside world.
The contrast between the vibrant squares and the chic space initially clashes. A staircase leads to the glass-windowed central structure. Cubicles and offices occupy the upper floors. Lounges offer views overlooking the terrazzo floor.
Peering down from above transforms the floor. Flat terrazzo becomes three-dimensional. The shapes change with your angle of view. From the third floor, shapes resemble rooms. Color blocks look like hallways. Others appear as aerial snapshots of a maze. The linear shapes adapt to the high-tech space.
LeWitt believed art relies on the idea. The idea becomes a machine. His works often appear geometric and simplistic. But changing perspective creates optical illusions.
Bars of Color embodies this effect. The bars morph into illusionary 3-D spaces. MIT’s facilities and creative direction make this possible. The surrounding atmosphere augments the art.
The artistic space extends to the third and fourth floors. Earlier paintings and pieces by other artists are displayed here. Vibrant colors and geometric shapes connect the collection. It’s a small gallery within the central building.
Bars of Color defies and adheres to conceptual art. It appears simplistic. But it uses directness to camouflage complexity. The approach needs the right space to grow.
Take your time to explore the Bars of Color within Squares. Move around. Change your perspective. What do you see? How does it make you feel? This is art meant to be experienced. It is art that engages the mind and delights the senses.