Six Triangles Hexagon Wall (1978) extends Rickey’s investigation of the ways in which simple geometric forms can be activated through light and movement. Six stainless-steel triangles are arranged across the wall to form a hexagon, a structure that also carries a subtle resemblance to a floral motif. Responding independently to currents of air, the planes shift in position, continually changing the patterns of light and reflection on their surfaces. The work moves between geometric order and organic associations, producing a composition that is constantly altered by air, light and the position of the viewer.

George Rickey (1907–2002) was one of the leading figures in twentieth-century kinetic sculpture. Born in South Bend, Indiana, and raised partly in Scotland, he first trained as a painter before turning to sculpture after the Second World War. From the 1950s onward, he became known for works made from carefully balanced metal elements that move in response to air, gravity and changes in the surrounding environment. His sculptures combine precise engineering with simple geometric forms and constant movement. Rickey exhibited widely in the United States and Europe, with major solo exhibitions at institutions including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the Nationalgalerie, Berlin. His work is held in more than 150 museum collections worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; National Galleries of Scotland; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; and Kunstmuseum Bern.