Sole of Star

1967

Plotter Drawing

10.75"x10.75"

Highlights

Description

Lloyd Sumner’s work with machines for artistic expression began in the 1960s at the University of Virginia, where he taught himself to use a Calcomp 565 plotter while studying engineering science and working part time at the Computer Science Center.

In 1967, he created Sole of Star using the extended Algol programming language to calculate and send coordinates to a plotter. The drawing is composed of fine lines arranged within a 10.75-by-10.75–inch square, forming a symmetrical, star-shaped object. The image has a woven quality, the result of measured repetition and variation. Nothing in the composition is accidental. Every line follows specific instructions, reflecting Sumner’s precise control over both process and outcome.

The star motif repeats throughout Sumner’s early work, a form that lent itself to the symmetry and precision central to his programmed drawings. Other versions of Sole of Star were produced in orange and blue ink, presenting the same plotted composition through different color explorations.

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