From May 23 - July 15, 2022, the Decker Library will be hosting a new exhibit of collection items that explore the use of the line in art. Curated by Tannaz Motevalli.⁠ ⁠ What is a line? A stroke or mark on a surface…a row of people waiting at the grocery store…the connection between point A and point B…or another kind of connection, a telephone connection…or the underground pipes passing natural gas from one area of the city to another…or the horizontal row of words on a page buttressed by a margin…like these.⁠ ⁠ While not as infinite, the many functions of the line in art are vast. It could be argued that the line has been present since humankind’s first attempts to create visual imagery, in cave paintings and prehistoric marks on stone. With the development of drawing, pattern-making, and calligraphy, for example, the line has taken on many more roles in the arts throughout history beyond simply image-making. As one of the seven visual elements of art, a building block, the line continues to serve as a basic principle in art that artists transgress, complicate, and challenge. Across time and cultures, the line remains a fundamental element of art and image-making. This exhibit explores the line across many art disciplines from drawing and fibers to performance art and architecture. We invite visitors to ruminate on the many ways lines have been used in art over time.⁠