Page 58 - Studio International - June 1974

Kenneth Martin themes. It was a development of the
time thing, the rhythm of time.' Martin
In 1922 Alexander Rodchenko breaks off a primary line when a
explored construction and the line : subsequent line passes through it,
'Recently having devoted myself and takes it up again after the meeting
exclusively to the construction of has taken place; he adds parallel lines
forms and to their system of to the primaries, their number based
construction, I have introduced in the on the numerical order of the pair
plane surface the line as a new in the column (Monastral Blue,
element of construction. This led to Chance and Order 101972). These
a definitive clarification of the line's secondary lines are also broken off
signification, both in its comportment by antecedent or subsequent
as a limit and a border, and as a major primaries and then resumed. The time
factor in the construction of every sequence of laying down is solved by
organism in life : skeleton, base, conscious act, and by colour : 'The
framework or system. The line is a first seven paintings each had a
beginning and an end ... a means of different colour. I hadn't used my paint
passing, motion, collision, border, box for a year so I would take one
re-enforcement, conjuction, cut.' In colour and use it straight, or with the
1971 Sol LeWitt explored addition of white. Then I became
construction, the line and colour interested in the sequence of rhythm
within a conceptual framework and trying to separate things in time
subjected to chance execution by
others : 'All walls are to be covered
with a 6-inch grid drawn with a hard
black pencil to contain at the
predisposition of the executor (a)
straight lines drawn from edge to
edge with red, yellow and blue
pencils (b) free hand lines
not touching the edge drawn with
red, yellow and blue pencils (c) free
hand lines drawn with a black pencil'.
Kenneth Martin has continued this
exploration during the last three of
four years.
Martin's structural physiology
Chance and order 10 (monastral blue) 1972
remains the same in one or four
Oil on canvas. 36 36 in. Photo: John Webb
dimensions : the lines are drawn in
paint on canvas or with metal in space ; ring and rod) on a programme based
he uses sequential construction, on two sets of numbers 2, 3, 4 and 1,
one unit adding to another and 1, 2, 3, 5 ordered by permutation.
another; primary elements of form, His recent book 'Chance and
motion and material, give variety Order'* has formalized the tabulation
within the simple ; the joins, in line or of methodology into an element as
metal, impart character and important as the drawings, but it
characteristic ; identity is a family of introduces a twist— chance rather
units or opposing units; the kinetic of than reason as the determinant of
the whole is the kinetic of individual articulation and form. These two
units to each other within the whole; parallel narratives, the conceptual
the physical content is primary and the executive, are the history of
(numerical) and secondary the seven paintings shown at
(material, scale, size) ; potential Waddington in 1970 and the nine Chance and order 12 (black) 1973 and give them attributes. You can say
Oil on canvas. 48 x 48 in. Photo: Cooper
metaphor, dependent on the psychic shown this year. Concept and 1, 2, 1, 2, black, white, black, white
and physical orientation of the viewer execution, drawing and painting are numbers 1 to 25 written on cards and or 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, black, grey, white,
is implied — square becomes box. The one. 'I persisted with the drawings drawn by lot with the resulting black, grey, white. At first I said I'd
work is method as an inquisition into and then made paintings from them. I sequence written in a column beside pick any colour from the paint box,
the nature of art. 'I want to construct never changed any rules of chance the grid, the numbers then paired to but colours react to one another so you
a single homogeneous whole out of a midway. Having got the rules of the provide the alignment of one point of have to think about it. But if you have
variety of facts, to select these facts, game I accepted them and had to intersection to another. The grid can a white band between the colours,
to see what will be the resultant of make the best of it and the most of it.' be consciously varied, to make square, then the difficulty of relating one
their fusion, to observe its character In his book Martin explains why he circle or diagonal. Its size can be colour to another is minimalized and
and to proceed again.' started the drawings : 'I started some increased to give 7 x 7 in. squares they take on a gaiety like Picasso's
The methodology seems like a drawings in the South of France. I with 64 points of intersection coloured drawings. (Four Colours
control experiment, its tabulation as wanted to find out what would (Chance and Order 12, Black 1973). 1973). But I did one where I brought
much an object of self-sufficient happen without a formal design to But chance articulates form ; it can be colours right bang together and then
consideration as a determinant of start, I wanted my mind to be manipulated as long as the numbers I had to consider colour . (Green and
sequential action. I remember the completely blank and to see what chosen by lot correspond to the Red 1973). I can't use colour like a
eleven tables he published in would happen with anything number of intersections. There can be colourist uses it, his very close tones,
Leonardo documenting the subsequent. The only way I could do up to five columns of numbers his very close colours, because what
formulation of the Screw Mobiles 1965 this was with the determinant of increasing the complexity of form I've been concerned with in any
—1967, the series of ordered, related chance.' Then how he started : (Cobalt Blue, Chance & Order, 1973), dimension is drawing and the more
acts consciously executed, the 'Order is the order of doing things, pairs giving verticles or horizontals precise a drawing is the more tough
predetermination of a system this is the framework. The order of can be eliminated. However, 'When it is and that's the precision of
permitting either/or, posited on the putting down one line and the next you're done the whole thing looks drawing rather than the precision of
observation of the preceding and the next. It is the sequential like it had been done at the same time colour. The colour is always
outcome or activity. Each represented order of planning anything in any so I began to play with how to determined beforehand and can't be
a series of discrete events realized dimension.' The predeterminant develop it so that it didn't look like altered.
through the ordering of fundamental element was a grid of 164 x 4 in. that. But it couldn't be a development Jennifer Oille
movements and forms (parabola, squares, giving 25 points of of chance because chance can't be
circle and line transmutable into bar, intersection. The determinant is the developed. But I developed the •Published by Waddington Galleries,
London, £2.