Garage No. 1 1917

Stuart Davis made "Garage No. 1" in 1917, and it's like he's feeling out the edges of representation, one brushstroke at a time. The colors are muted, almost smoky, but then there’s that pop of bright yellow on the car, grabbing your attention and pulling you into the scene. Looking closely, you can see the paint is thick, almost sculptural in places, especially in the way he builds up the form of the gas pump. It’s not about making things look real, but about the act of painting itself. Notice how the tree branches are just these dark, gestural strokes against the lighter background. This reminds me of Marsden Hartley, another American modernist who wasn’t afraid to play with form and color. Davis is showing us that painting isn’t just about copying what you see, it’s about inventing a new way of seeing, and maybe even a new kind of world.