Diagonal Feint Ruled 1970

Curator: Here we have Gordon House’s "Diagonal Feint Ruled," an intriguing print from the Tate collection. It seems to be an exercise in geometric abstraction, constructed from triangles and ruled lines. Editor: It's immediately striking how stable and yet restless this feels. The repeated triangles have a kind of primitive, almost hieroglyphic quality, but the overall effect is quite modern. Curator: The arrangement of triangles evokes both the familiar, like rooflines perhaps, and the destabilizing, with that single unfilled triangle disrupting the pattern. Do you think that single interruption hints at something psychological, a departure from uniformity? Editor: Perhaps. The regular lines create a sense of order, so the interruption reads as a kind of questioning. I am always curious about how artists can communicate a kind of cultural anxiety using such spare forms. Curator: Indeed. House’s exploration of form and pattern transcends pure geometry. It suggests a deeper engagement with how visual systems communicate meaning. Editor: Ultimately, it’s a quiet piece that asks us to consider the power of simple forms to evoke complex emotions.