Artwork
Serpent
Serpent is a drawing by Desmond Paul Henry. It dates from 1962 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Desmond Paul Henry’s drawing titled “Serpent” is a hand‑drawn work produced by a self‑operating drawing machine. Constructed in the 1960s from components salvaged from analogue bombsight computers, the device translates mechanical motion directly onto paper without any digital programming or operator input.
Subject & Meaning
The resulting image consists of undulating, sinuous lines that evoke the form of a snake, hence the title. The organic appearance emerges from the machine’s autonomous movements, blurring the distinction between the mechanical process and the visual outcome.
Technique & Style
The machine employs a pen mounted on a series of gears and linkages derived from wartime technology. As the gears rotate, the pen traces continuous, irregular curves across the paper. The lack of programmable control means the drawing contains accidental variations, giving each line a spontaneous, almost improvisational quality.
History & Provenance
Henry built three such machines in the 1960s, each repurposing parts from former bombsight computers. “Serpent” is one of the works generated by these devices and is currently held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Context
The piece reflects post‑war experimentation in which artists appropriated military hardware for creative purposes. By converting a precision instrument designed for targeting into a tool for abstract drawing, Henry highlights the unexpected aesthetic potential of obsolete technology.
Artist & collection
Artist
Desmond Paul Henry made abstract drawings that look like tangled lines and shapes.
