Vector Rhythms

The dynamic division of space in Vector Rhythms has been informed by terms and structures associated with mathematics. A vector is a quantity that has magnitude and direction, signalled by the length and orientation of a line. This concept activates Anthony Hill’s arrangement of connected lines within a grid of twenty squares in this monochrome screenprint.

Hill had been using mathematical concepts as a starting point for composing non-figurative art works since the late 1950s. In the 1970s, he described his process as putting abstract mathematical notions ‘to work’, by combining measured modulations with his own artistic decisions. [1]

The composition of Vector Rhythms relates to a series of four prints by Hill titled Vectors A-D (1971-2), which includes three additional variations of the arrangement of vector lines. [2]

Lisa Newby, March 2021

[1] Anthony Hill, ‘A View of Non-Figurative Art and Mathematics and an Analysis of a Structural Relief’, Leonardo, Volume 10, No.1 (Winter, 1977), pp.7-12, p.12.

[2] This series is part of the V&A collection Search | V&A Explore the Collections (vam.ac.uk)