Oscillation #9 in Red

With this series, DeSutter contemplates movement along life’s path. The artist substitutes his classic and clean straight gridded lines for more expressive and momentum driven curves that, unlike the series title, “Google? Does a tethered ball oscillate?”, don't actually oscillate.

A pendulum creates an oscillating movement as the bob moves back and forth along the same line. However, a tethered ball creates a circular movement as the ball moves around a pole. Somewhere in the middle of both of these types of movements, DeSutter sees this set of paths living. He sees the outermost left and right points of each oval as two different opposite variables that he may be deciding between at any given time. The progression down the page created as the decision gets considered over and over again.

In DeSutter’s own words: “I’m starting to think of life’s journey more in terms of looking like these pieces. Momentum driven swirling lines that appear chaotic but ultimately move forward with each turn. It’s important to celebrate the messiness of my own journey because I know that regardless of how it looks day to day I’m continually learning and therefore moving forward … With that being said, I realize from a scientific perspective these pieces are entirely mislabeled. A proper oscillation line looks more like a sine or cosine graph.”