We are delighted to introduce Some Numbers, the first solo presentation of recent works by British artist David Connearn (b. 1952, London, UK) in our Brussels showroom. Connearn’s work speaks to those interested in the physical and philosophical dimensions of artistic process. It challenges viewers to contemplate the implications of repetition, endurance, and simplicity, transforming drawing into a place of both physical act and metaphysical exploration. While its disciplined minimalism may not resonate with all audiences, it remains a significant contribution to contemporary drawing, pushing the boundaries of subject matter and temporal process.
The exhibition consists of over 850,000 numbers inscribed on sheets of paper, yet even this vast sum represents only a minute fraction of the numbers in play—each of them well-known within their mathematical fields and, in all cases, infinite. The selection includes the square root of 2, Euler’s number (e), the Euler-Mascheroni constant (γ), the Euler-Gompertz constant (δ), and Liouville’s constant.
The origins of these works trace back to Connearn’s prizewinning drawing Holocene, made for the 2000 Jerwood exhibition. This visual representation of the 2000-digit “Millennium Prime,” discovered by mathematician John Cosgrave, employed ten different pen widths to correspond to the numerals in decimal notation. However, a deeper structural foundation underpins Connearn’s works—specifically, the relationship between the drawn surface and the overall area, based on the root 2 proportion he has employed since the earliest days of his line-based practice over four decades ago. This proportion governs the relationship between the diagonal of the drawn area and the overall dimensions of his predominantly square drawings.
Connearn’s approach challenges traditional expectations of drawing by prioritizing process over subject or narrative. His emphasis on repetition aligns his work with process-oriented artists like Agnes Martin and Roman Opalka, both of whom used systematic mark-making to explore existential and perceptual questions. Opalka becomes a key reference in this exhibition. In his 2014 essay on Opalka, Robert Morgan highlights the artist’s distinction between his own ‘pragmatic’ work and the ‘mystical’ aspirations of Malevich. Connearn’s ironically (Aufhebung) titled pieces echoes this distinction—his practice acknowledges Opalka’s spiritual claims while simultaneously subverting them.
The square root of 2 defines the dimensions of the A-series paper format (as standardized by ISO 216), making it the determining ratio of Connearn’s compositions. His two AO sheets, After Opalka: Searching for the Spiritual in the Ruins of Root 2, do not narrate or valorise the artist. Instead, in keeping with Connearn’s reflexive approach, they describe their own materiality. The three homages to Euler reference the mathematician’s efforts to establish coherent foundations for analysis—contrasting with his contemporary d’Alembert’s famous exhortation in which Connearn hears Opalka’s voice: “Just keep moving forwards, and faith will come to you.” Searching for the Spiritual in the Origin of Transcendence engages with Liouville’s constant, the first transcendental number, rendering it to over 9! places. This number was chosen for its poetic qualities—its maximal minimalism and its near-infinite embrace of nothingness.
David Connearn has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad. His works are in important private and public collections such as the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Council.