Angle Theory Diagrams 1932

Editor: This is Stuart Davis's "Angle Theory Diagrams" housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels like a peek into the artist's mind, almost like a page from a visual diary. What do you make of these geometric musings? Curator: These diagrams remind us that images can be powerful repositories of thought. Note how Davis explores relationships between forms, almost like a visual language. Do you notice any repeating motifs? Editor: Well, there are squares, lines and handwritten notes throughout... Curator: Exactly! Davis uses these simple shapes to dissect spatial relationships, and he uses textual symbols to remind us of their cultural meaning. It prompts a question: How do we decode the visual symbols in our own lives? Editor: I never thought about geometric shapes having symbolic weight. I see it differently now.