Untitled (greater-than and less-than signs)

Another work employing mathematical symbols. It consists of five lines, each containing a greater-than sign and a less-than sign. In successive lines, the signs move towards one another until, in the final line, they exchange positions: the less-than sign becomes the greater-than sign and the greater-than sign becomes the less-than sign. The work draws attention to a specific property of mathematical language, in which not only the addition or removal of a small element – as in the work with equality and inequality signs – but even the position of a sign on the plane radically changes its meaning. In addition to the five-line version, a seven-line version also exists, suggesting the continuation of the work (the signs are cut by the upper and lower edges of the board). The work has been executed as ink on Bristol board and canvas, as well as foil mounted on a rigid support.