The blurred brushstrokes of Mel Bochner’s Random Numbers paintings create a hazy atmosphere through which forms appear to float in a deep, fog-filled space. Surprisingly, the forms emerging from the haze are not associated with a misty landscape or seascape as one might expect. Instead they are numbers, shapes that signify a precise quantity. By placing matter-of-fact numbers in a painterly, poetic space, the artist creates a situation in which two systems of representation—numerical and visual—clash, resulting in an absurd combination of signs. Bochner’s work suggests that if the expected context of a set of symbols is changed, confusion about their meaning may result. In other words, clear communication occurs when symbols— be they numbers or the conventions of oil painting—are used in a way that is commonly understood. Nevertheless the failure to achieve a specific recognizable meaning can also lead to a positive result—a heightened awareness of how systems of representation and communication operate.