Four Right Angles,

1972

Challenging herself to work within the constraints of a clear system, Bartlett created Four Right Angles from forty identical twelve-inch square steel plates. She silkscreened a grid that divides the surface of each plate into 2,304 quarter-inch segments, then painted enamel dots inside these segments by hand. The number, combination, and location of the dots were determined by a system in advance. The first four plates of each row represent different permutations of the same rule, while the last plate of each row collates and, by extension, summarizes the preceding rules. Bartlett’s dots form lines: some are abstract, while others resolve into recognizable objects, such as rudimentary houses, a recurring motif in her art.