Art Theory Text with Hand 1951

Editor: This is a piece by Stuart Davis called "Art Theory Text with Hand." It doesn't have a date associated with it and is located at the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like ink on paper. The text seems to explore the relationship between abstract art and illustration. What do you see in the piece, looking at its structure and form? Curator: The hand-drawn letters and hand at the top present a dialogue between the conceptual and the concrete. The work exists as text *and* image. One must consider its philosophical structure. What does it mean to present "idea" as both text and the suggestion of an image? Davis invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through both linguistic and visual signs. Editor: So, the medium is part of the message? Curator: Precisely. The materiality of the handwritten text is as crucial as the content itself. It's not just *what* he says, but *how* he says it. Editor: This gives me a lot to think about. I never considered the handwriting itself as part of the meaning. Curator: Understanding the synthesis of form and content is key to interpreting abstract art.