Between 1953 and 1956 Hill abandoned colour, which he saw as unnecessary and as a mark of indecisiveness, and instead worked exclusively in black and white. The paintings produced during this period are striking in their simplicity and are balanced around a central, vertical axis. ‘Orthogonal Composition’ is an example of Hill’s ability to produce a minimal composition which counter-balances positive and negative shapes. The large rectangle on the left measures exactly four of the smaller black forms. The tall, narrow shape of the canvas shows the influence of fellow constructivist, Victor Pasmore, and particularly the works he was producing in the early 1950s of a similar shape.