Stuart Davis Papers 1920 - 1964

Curator: Here we have a page from the Stuart Davis Papers, dated July 1, 1939. It appears to be a page of the artist's notes. Editor: The writing is so immediate, visceral. It feels like we're peering directly into Davis's creative process, the moment thought becomes text. Curator: He's wrestling with the meaning of "content," and the social role of art, especially in the face of technological change and perhaps even political restriction. His mention of “illegal wireless-telephone communication” places this within a moment of great anxiety. Editor: And "borax" style in furniture! What a loaded phrase. It speaks to a critique of commercial aesthetics, the conflict between art and mass culture. Davis seems to be asking how art navigates these spaces. Curator: He's clearly concerned with the role art plays and its social impact, a very timely question, then and now. Editor: Absolutely. This glimpse into Davis's thinking gives a rich, and more relevant, context to his art.