Quatre Epingles

This is one of a sequence of four abstract prints titled Net one, peano closed; Net two, peano open; Net Three, tiré à; and Quatre épingles; from the portfolio Juxtapositions/4. The geometric compositions used across the series demonstrate Gillian Wise’s advanced engagement with mathematical systems and theories, including, the titles suggest, the number sequences associated with peano axioms.

The prints relate closely to a series of Wise’s works on acrylic sheet titled Net and web with planar paths (1975). Wise’s description of a work from this series that uses the same composition as Net Three, tiré à, indicates her concern with the relationships between the abstract geometric elements and the aesthetic impact of these works:

‘Line path connecting regular grids on two parallel planes. Since the linear forms can be read as the edges of planes, in this case diagonal movements have been created across the net by picking out a planar path. The border lines are more complex than the other three in the series as this image seems to demand more powerful guy ropes to counteract its dynamic pictorial weight.’ [1]

Lisa Newby, June 2022

[1] https://gillianwise.com/project/XrbXXRAAAPuZp2AR. Accessed June 2022. For another example from the series Net and web with planar paths see https://artcollection.culture.gov.uk/artwork/13343/. Accessed June 2022.