Finished drawing; Finished Piece?

All elements of the drawing have been completed, with some mistakes and modifications, and every step is dutifully recorded. However, I do not consider this to be a finished piece.

After much deliberation, I have decided not to darken any lines within the grid; the delicate look of the thin grey lines is better than any previous attempts I have made to create these drawings with thicker or darker ink. My hope is that the lightness of the lines will draw viewers closer to the surface (yet to be seen...)

The text on the margins of the grid have presented many problems: One; if this piece is hung on a wall, reading the text (which is written from all directions--often upside down or sideways), is problematic. Two; reading the text is problematic anyway because it is cryptic and confusing, and lacks any obvious systematic organization. Three; the effect of the small lettering is a bit too distracting; I would like to see the text, but still recognize the grid drawing as the dominant visual element. Given these problems with the current configuration of the text, it cannot be removed from the immediate borders of the drawing. Putting the rules on a panel to the side or otherwise detaching them from the creative surface would not serve my purposes conceptually; I do not want them to come off as contrived or gimmicky, and I don't want to elevate them to some self-important stand alone status. Their role in the drawings must be on level with, or slightly less emphasized than the finished image.

Some of these problems can be solved in this piece: A stand to support the surface as a tabletop can easily be built, allowing for viewing in-the-round (this also forces viewers to approach the piece more intimately), and a darker pencil line can be drawn around the perimeter of the grid, framing the drawing and giving it emphasis. Other of these problems however, will have to be solved in subsequent pieces; I now know what structural elements need to be clearly labeled, and can more systematically observe the individual steps (I would like to eventually get them down to one-line equations...). What I hope to see happen is the evolution of a symbolic language that informs these drawings, one that is clear and concise and can assume a more aesthetically pleasing role.

I am not yet going to seal this surface, but I am getting started on the next.