Scale from the Road 1977

Robert MacPherson’s “Scale from the Road” consists of three vertical panels marked with dark, gestural lines. The materials look simple enough: paper and ink, likely applied with a brush. Yet, the apparent ease belies a deeper connection to the artist's practice and the world around him. These aren’t so much paintings as records of a performative act. MacPherson collected discarded road signs and other everyday materials, transforming them through repetitive actions. Here, the lines might evoke the act of measuring, or the monotonous lines painted on roads. The repetition inherent in the work invites us to consider labor and the everyday actions that shape our environment. Each panel bears the trace of the artist's hand, a visible record of a simple, yet purposeful gesture. By elevating the mundane, MacPherson blurs the boundaries between the artistic act, craft, and the repetitive nature of modern life. It reminds us that meaning can be found not just in the finished product, but in the process itself.