Max Bill
By Michael Thomsen

Max Bill, born in Switzerland in 1908, is one of tie leading modern artists dealing with mathematical concepts. He worked in a great many artistic fields from drawing to architecture and design, but he is most famous for his work in sculpture. Most all of his art is concerned with mathematical ideas, geometric figures, and patterns. While the figures in his work cannot be described as simple, they were often sparse and stand by themselves. Bill was intrigued with lines and the artistry of mathematical expression. One of his more notable attempts at this was in 1935 when he tried to create a sculpture that had only one side. While he succeed, he later discovered that he had only reproduced a "moibus strip" (a circular band that was twisted so that it was possible to run one's finger over the inside and outside edge without picking up one's finger) a concept that had been conceived nearly one hundred and twenty years prior. While this was extremely wounding to the artist's ego, as he had thought he had found a totally new shape, he carried on and expanded on the notion of the "moibus strip." Indeed, much of Bill's work since has been preoccupied with slightly distorted circular bands, and shapes. Another of his predominant preoccupations was with hard lines and patterns containing squares.