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[Robert Mangold: Sol LeWitt & MoMA]

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[SOUNDS OF BIRDS CHIRPING]

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There was this area of pavement out there, behind the barn, and I have no idea why it was there.

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There were three large blocks of concrete that made a paved area.

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Every time I walked by it in the morning or the evening, I thought,

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"This would be a great place for one of Sol's cement block sculptures."

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So I showed him pictures of it and we made a trade for a large painting.

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Sol was probably my best friend over the years.

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We were friends for years and years and years.

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We met at the MoMA when we were both guards in the early 60s.

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Quite a few people worked there at that time, including Ryman,

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and Flavin...although, Flavin wasn't there when I was there.

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Tip of the hat to MoMA because they used to hire poets and painters

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and writers of different types to be guards.

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It was a nice job--the museum opened at 11 and closed at 5--

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so it was not bad. [LAUGHS]

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It was union wages and everybody liked it.

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Although you got different assignments--

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You might have one floor and another floor on different days, but...

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To come in every day and be a part of the collection was great.

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You got to stand around and look at people looking at art, and look at art.

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I can remember going and seeing great paintings--contemporary paintings--

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being in a hurry to get home and get in my studio

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while that was still fresh in my mind.

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While that intensity, that emotional high, was still...

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So I could look at my painting and say,

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"Does that have any of that or not?" [LAUGHS]

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"Is there any of that in there?"

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"I'd like there to be some of that in there."

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Whenever I do new paintings--whenever I do new works--

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I think of all kinds of these cultural connections.

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You know, culture of the people you grew up with.

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Art feeds off art, in a way,

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and artists feed off artists.