Ms. Catenary

The arrangement of found objects and images in Ms Catenary is underpinned by carefully balanced relationships between the different monochrome tones, reflective surfaces, and curved lines. The assemblage is attributed to Achill Redo, an alias created by the artist Anthony Hill in 1973.

Achill Redo exhibited collages and assemblages from the 1980s onwards, inspired by a longstanding interest in Dada and Surrealism. [1] This created a distinction between these works and the abstract geometric constructed reliefs and prints for which Hill was well known. However, he recognised them as related strands of his expansive creative practice:

‘If I am introduced to someone as being both a Dadaist and Constructivist I don’t have any objections. But making constructivist type works doesn’t mean that I am a signatory or member of any constructivist outfit. Likewise with Dada: I don’t do Redos in order to get labelled Dada, nor are Redos done in the shadow of Dada. Redos are Formalist, although in a different way from the constructive works I make.’ [2]

The title of this work, Ms Catenary, suggests a relationship with Catenary Rhythms, an important early monochrome abstract painting by Anthony Hill. Originally created in the 1950s, Catenary Rhythms explores relationships between root rectangles and catenary curves. Hill donated a reproduction of Catenary Rhythms to the Sainsbury Centre Collection in 1983 (see 31301).

Lisa Newby, March 2021

[1] Achill Redo exhibited in London at the Knoedler (Kasmin) Gallery in 1980, at Angela Flowers Gallery in 1983 and 1989, and at the Mayor Gallery in 1994.

[2] Achill Redo, Redo Times: Francisaviour Redo’s Show Botch the Wordie, exh. cat. (London: Angela Flowers Gallery, 1989), pp.7-8.