Basic Fields Diagrams 1941

Curator: This is Stuart Davis's "Basic Fields Diagrams," a pencil drawing housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels almost like a child's exercise, a simple exploration of dividing squares. There's a playful quality to its stark geometry. Curator: Davis's work often engaged with the urban landscape and the rise of consumer culture. I wonder if these diagrams are an attempt to deconstruct those complex visual fields into their most basic components. Editor: The squares containing cross-hatching and repeated curves feel particularly symbolic, hinting at patterned surfaces and maybe even language. They seem to be pushing beyond pure abstraction. Curator: Possibly, and consider that Davis was working during a period of intense social and political change, the rise of mass media and advertising certainly played a part in his need to digest all this new information. Editor: The act of breaking things down like this seems less about answers, and more about seeking a visual language to cope with a modern world. Curator: Yes, and it shows how even seemingly simple diagrams can be a profound way to engage with the complexities of modern life. Editor: I find it deeply satisfying to see this visual thinking.