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One Inch to a Foot

A work made of overhead projector, photo-negative glass plate.
© 1971 John Knight

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  • A work made of overhead projector, photo-negative glass plate.

Date:

1971

Artist:

John Knight
American, born 1945

About this artwork

Since the late 1960s, John Knight has addressed the ideologies of built and designed space, often through
existing systems of visual communication not generally associated with art making. The title phrase of
his important early work One Inch to a Foot makes obvious reference to scale notations on architectural plans. It is etched in one-inch high, Helvetica letters on the plate of a standard overhead projector; once projected, each letter measures one foot in height. Thus a representational convention of architectural plans is physically enacted, and the work carves out real space as well: the projector requires 15 feet of distance from the wall in order to execute the title statement. One Inch to a Foot is technically portable but always establishes a direct relationship to its site of installation.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

John Knight

Title

One Inch to a Foot

Place

United States (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1971

Medium

Overhead projector, photo-negative glass plate

Dimensions

67.3 × 33 × 33 × 365.8 cm (26 ½ × 13 × 13 × 144 in.), installed

Credit Line

Through prior purchase with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Solomon B. Smith; Watson F. Blair Prize and Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize Fund; purchased with funds provided by Dorie Sternberg; Emilie L. Wild Prize Fund; Contemporary Art Discretionary Fund; through the generosity of Carol Greene

Reference Number

2013.48

Copyright

© 1971 John Knight

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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