Rational Concepts: 7 English Artists Portfolio

Line and tone mark out two distinct planes in this print, connected by a network of geometric forms. The composition relates directly to a series of works that Gillian Wise developed in the late 1960s, exploring the idea of a ‘looped network’. Wise described the early models in this series as using a connected line to trace regular grid forms on parallel, transparent planes. In this print, the red and blue colour scheme used in earlier works has been replaced by a more neutral arrangement of greys and black.

This print was part of the Rational Concepts portfolio, which included seven screen prints produced in an edition of 100, by artists associated with constructive art in England. The other artists represented in the portfolio are Norman Dilworth, Malcolm Hughes, Anthony Hill, Peter Lowe, Kenneth Martin and Jeffrey Steele.

Lisa Newby, July 2022