The demon in the diagram: towards a theory of evolving diagrammatic embodiment

This essay proposes that the intricate but sprawling evolution of diagrams might be looked at through a single graphic system. It is further proposed that this system might reconcile diverse definitions of ontological and temporal minima, in a sequence of 25 types of historical diagram that concludes with a kind of meta-diagram of diagrams. The ‘demon’, a historical form of hypostatic abstraction, is introduced as an eidetic body useful for exploring this diagrammatic space. The complete sequence was exhibited in a complex installation, titled ‘The Demon in the Diagram’, which is also discussed.