Every 15 Cms Every 16 Cms Dash Of One Cm Long

Francois Morellet’s Mathematical Playground: Where Precision Meets Whimsy

Few works embody the intersection of logic and visual poetry as vividly as Every 15 Cms Every 16 Cms Dash Of One Cm Long. Created in 1974, this piece distills Francois Morellet’s lifelong fascination with systems and chance into a composition that feels both rigorously structured and effortlessly dynamic. The title itself serves as a manual: dashes repeat at 15-centimeter intervals, while a secondary grid of lines emerges every 16 centimeters, creating a rhythmic tension across the canvas. This isn’t mere decoration—it’s a visual algorithm rendered in black and white, where the artist’s hand recedes behind the rules he establishes.

Morellet’s approach here reflects his membership in the Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV), a collective that sought to demystify art by emphasizing process over mystique. Unlike the gestural abstraction of his American contemporaries, Morellet’s work invites viewers to decode its construction. The 1974 date places this piece squarely in his mature period, when he had fully embraced industrial materials and geometric precision as tools for exploring perception. The absence of color focuses attention on the interplay of lines and negative space—a hallmark of his output during this decade, as noted in retrospectives at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art.

The GRAV Years: When Art Became a Participatory Experiment

By 1974, Morellet had spent over a decade as a central figure in GRAV, a Paris-based collective that rejected the idea of art as a sacred, untouchable object. Their manifestos and exhibitions—often featuring kinetic or interactive elements—sought to dissolve the boundary between artwork and viewer. Every 15 Cms Every 16 Cms Dash Of One Cm Long exemplifies this ethos through its almost architectural clarity. The work doesn’t demand emotional submission; it asks for engagement with its underlying logic, much like the light-based installations Morellet created for public spaces during the same period.

This piece also reflects Morellet’s dialogue with the broader Op Art movement, though his approach remained distinct. While artists like Bridget Riley used repetition to create optical illusions, Morellet’s systems often revealed their own construction. The slight misalignment between the 15-cm and 16-cm grids generates a moiré effect when viewed from certain angles—a phenomenon he explored in depth during the 1970s. His work from this era frequently appeared in exhibitions alongside pieces by fellow GRAV members like Julio Le Parc, where the emphasis on viewer participation redefined the gallery experience.

Morellet’s genius lies in making the invisible visible: the grid becomes a stage where mathematics performs a quiet ballet, and the viewer’s eye completes the choreography.

The Alchemy of Rulers and Chance

Composition: A Dual Rhythm

The work’s title serves as its blueprint. Morellet begins with two independent grids: one with dashes placed every 15 centimeters, another with lines at 16-centimeter intervals. The one-centimeter discrepancy creates a phase shift across the composition, generating interference patterns that animate the static surface. This method echoes his earlier Trames (grids) series but introduces a more complex temporal dimension—the eye must travel to perceive the relationships between elements.

Materiality: The Illusion of Precision

Despite its apparent mechanical perfection, the work bears traces of the artist’s hand. Close inspection reveals slight irregularities in the dashes—evidence of Morellet’s use of masking tape and spray paint, techniques he adopted from his time working in his father’s toy factory. These imperfections humanize the systematic approach, creating a tension between the conceptual rigor of the plan and the physical reality of its execution. The 30×40 cm format, which he frequently employed during this period, provides enough scale for the patterns to breathe without overwhelming the viewer.

Where to Hang This Print: A Designer’s Guide

The monochromatic palette and geometric rigor of Every 15 Cms Every 16 Cms Dash Of One Cm Long make it remarkably versatile for contemporary interiors. In a minimalist space, the 30×40 cm dimensions (12×16 inches) create a striking focal point above a console table or floating shelf, particularly when paired with matte black or white walls. The work’s linear structure complements mid-century modern furniture—think Eames chairs or Saarinen tables—while its systematic approach resonates with Bauhaus principles.

For a bolder statement, consider hanging the print in a home office or study where its intellectual underpinnings can shine. The black-and-white scheme allows it to harmonize with both cool and warm color palettes; try positioning it near a deep navy accent wall or against natural wood tones to highlight its graphic contrast. In commercial settings like creative agencies or tech startups, the piece’s algorithmic aesthetic reinforces themes of innovation and structured creativity. Always hang at eye level (centered 145–150 cm from the floor) to fully appreciate the interplay of grids.

More Works by Francois Morellet

Explore Morellet’s evolving exploration of systems and perception through these key pieces from different decades.

Francois Morellet

Avalanche

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Francois Morellet

Repartition Reguliere De Carres

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Francois Morellet

2 Trames De Carres1 Trame De Tirets

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Francois Morellet

Sphere Matter

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