Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory (detail) 1971

"Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory" (1971) by French artist François Morellet is a prime example of Minimalism, a movement that emphasized geometric forms and systematic procedures. This detail of the work, composed of 40,000 small squares, exemplifies the artist's fascination with randomness and chance. Morellet used the odd and even numbers from a telephone directory to determine the placement of each square, creating a seemingly chaotic yet strangely balanced composition of red and blue. The result is a visually engaging and intellectually stimulating work that invites the viewer to contemplate the nature of order and disorder.