Andre’s sculptures are comprised of commercially fabricated units of identical dimensions arranged geometrically, without the use of fixings or welding. Abandoning the plinth, the units are placed directly on the floor so that the sculpture occupies the same space as the body of the viewer. For Andre, the artist’s role lies in revealing the sculptural properties or potential of a pre-existing material, thus the components remain in their raw factory standard state and are not manipulated. In 1967 he developed a series of sculptures consisting of 144 metal plates arranged in a grid on the floor to recall scientific tabulations. These sculptures encouraged the viewer to consider the work’s materiality. The first three works were made from aluminium, steel and zinc, and were installed together to openly elicit comparison. He initially displayed a periodic table of elements alongside the works to underscore the importance of the material used. Subsequently Andre made further iterations of 144 square works from copper, lead, iron, magnesium and this one from titanium.