The conception of the "Locus" series emanates from Rockburne’s (b. 1932) "Drawing Which Makes Itself" inspired by the ever-changing geometry of fresh ski-tracks in the snow. Rockburne’s continued exploration in using paper not only as a static material upon which an artist draws, but as actively changing forms is evident in the "Locus" series. The current portfolio and the series "Drawing Which Makes Itself" are still widely celebrated; the latter being exhibited in 2013 at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

In "Locus," the interplay between paper and mathematics is once again a defining feature. In the six sheets, the artist engages topological concepts; a graphite "X" (visible in the center of this work) indicates the directions of the folds, while the creases function as major and minor spines that structure each piece and connect the prints. As the series progresses, the spines shift placement and dominance until they reverse positions. Rockburne ran folded paper through a printing press allowing the edges and folds to become embossed lines and indented planes. She applied aquatint to the topmost sections after the paper was folded, coving a copper printing plate with resin to make a richly textured surface. Over that surface she added titanium white oil paint, which she buffeted with a tarlatan to create the luminous tone that appears as a velvety off-white against the untreated paper.

The "Locus" series evokes a sense of subtle yet weighty contradiction. The lines are precise, the paper is both textured and weighted, and the creases are strong and defined. These works take on a sculptural quality, as they are also meant to be engaged with from both sides.

Only a few complete sets of "Locus" have been identified today, including the ones featured in the collections of MoMA, New York, NY; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Dia Art Foundation, Dia:Beacon, Beacon, NY; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia.