Art Theory Text with Color Diagram 1950

Curator: Here we have "Art Theory Text with Color Diagram," a piece by Stuart Davis. It's undated, but held in the Harvard Art Museums. It shows Davis playing with language and form. My first impression? It feels like a glimpse into the artist's playful, probing mind. Editor: It's fascinating how text becomes image here. I notice the phrase "Image is the Impossible as Logic" hovering above the diagram. It's almost an alchemical formula, hinting at the power of images to transcend reason. Curator: Exactly! Davis muses on "good" versus "bad" color, as if they are moral concepts, not just aesthetic choices. Editor: The lines themselves possess a nervous energy, like thought made visible. It is as if Davis is actively wrestling with ideas as he draws them. Curator: And the phrase "to knock the peoples brains out" feels radical and hopeful. Editor: It's a manifesto in miniature—a passionate declaration of art's transformative potential. Well, I will be thinking about this one! Curator: Precisely. The diagram and the text blur, becoming one singular expression—a challenge, an invitation.