Black Panther 1970

Editor: We're looking at Gene Davis' "Black Panther," created in 1970 using oil paint. I’m struck by how these seemingly simple vertical lines create a surprisingly dynamic rhythm across the canvas. What do you see in this piece, and how does it speak to you? Curator: You know, it's like a visual poem, isn’t it? Gene Davis was a master of colour-field painting, taking inspiration from music—he called them "Chromatic Interval" paintings. The colours aren't really black and white, are they? Notice the variations—a slightly creamy off-white, charcoal grey… he’s playing with subtle vibrations and spatial relationships. It makes me think about the energy of a jazz improvisation, doesn’t it, that tension between structure and freedom. What emotions does it bring up for you? Editor: That's interesting, I can see the music analogy. For me, there’s a tension—the regularity is calming, but the slight imperfections, the subtle colour shifts, give it a human quality, a sense of unrest maybe. I'd thought it was a direct reference to the political movement... Curator: It is hard not to wonder about Davis’ intentions. “Black Panther” *was* painted in 1970, after all. I suspect Davis welcomed those multiple interpretations – and honestly, darling, an artwork truly lives in the dialogue we have with it, regardless of its title, doesn’t it? Editor: That's a good point. It makes me appreciate how even abstract art can be so layered with meaning. Curator: Indeed. It encourages you to see things that may not exist for somebody else and, honestly, that makes an artist very happy!