The World Through a Circle 2 is the second of two concrete poems that articulate Nancy Holt’s core ideas about perception. This signed work on paper from 1972 consists of a pen-annotated photocopy that develops from an earlier, typewritten version of the poem. In the two early works, Holt distills some of her most influential concepts within the physical and conceptual limits of a circle.

Holt began her practice by making concrete poems—works that test the structure, content, and form of language. Her lexicographic repertoire includes found language drawn from sources such as fortune cookies, place names, and exhibition descriptions, all gathered from within the circumference of her lived world. Some of Holt’s concrete poems are typed directly onto the page, while others are hand-drawn. She frequently substituted photocopies for first-generation language works, using repetition to explore whether circular processes might alter form or meaning. Photostats and photocopies rely on basic principles of electricity and photoconductivity to expand the circulation of text and images. In the late 1960s, such machines were indispensable business tools and a vital component of communication systems; today, they are largely obsolete.