Prince Albert 1978

"Prince Albert" by Gene Davis is all about those vertical stripes, like a cityscape made of color, built up with layer upon layer of acrylic paint. I imagine Davis standing back, squinting, adjusting. The physical work— that's the conversation, right? The way those hues vibrate, a bit like Agnes Martin. There’s a kind of optical buzz. It's almost aggressive in its quietness. The lines are quite controlled, and I wonder what it would be like to allow oneself that much restraint. He probably sat with it a long time, maybe taking visual notes from other stripe painters. I think these kinds of repetitive marks can become meditative, and, in a way, all painting is an exercise in just that – mark-making and meditation. The history of painting is a sprawling network of influences, and each painting is a tiny node in that web of color and ideas. Davis made his mark, and we're still talking about it, seeing it, feeling it.