The Party 1968

Jack Davis made this wild party scene sometime in the 20th or 21st century, with pen and ink and watercolor, probably for a magazine illustration. Just look at the washes of colour, layered and flowing, it’s a total frenzy of marks. I love to imagine Jack at his drawing table, with his materials spread out, working at speed. There’s something about the energy of the whole scene that feels so immediate. That lone figure in the foreground, sinking in the water with a martini, feels especially poignant. I imagine that Jack must have been feeling like that at some time – like life is one big party that you didn’t quite sign up for! But in the end, these kinds of images remind me that art is an ongoing conversation, and each artist adds their own touch to the mix. It leaves room for interpretation, and that’s how art keeps evolving.