Draw

Game 1 (from Draw series)

pencil on paper
44" x 30"
2007

Type A playing a game of tick-tack-toe as a game tree

Type A playing a game of tick-tack-toe as a game tree

Starting with nine branches radiating from a central point (representing the nine squares of a tick-tack-toe board and the first set of choices), the first player makes a mark. The eight moves not taken become lines radiating from that point. The game continues until one player wins or there is a draw. The drawing evolves and mutates in an organic fashion, growing and spreading over the paper.

Inspired by elements of Game Theory, the drawing does not attempt to illustrate all possible outcomes. The highest number of possible outcomes for a tick-tack-toe game, including games that break the rules and go on longer than needed, is 9! or 362,880. Taking into account the rules, there are, at most, 255,168 possible games.